FROM   THE   LIBRARY  OF 
REV.   LOUIS    FITZGERALD    BENSON.   D.  D. 

BEQUEATHED    BY   HIM   TO 

THE   LIBRARY  OF 

PRINCETON  THEOLOGICAL   SEMINARY 


v  k  as 


The    Hebrew    Psalms 
in  english  verse. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


http://archive.org/details/renderingOOcole 


//r,1^,^^ 


NEW   RENDERING 


HEBREW    PSALMS 


ENGLISH  VERSE 


With  Notes,  Critical,  Historical  and  Biographical, 

Including  an  Historical  Sketch  of  the  French, 

English  and  Scotch  Metrical  Versions. 


ABRAHAM  COLES,  M.D.,  LL.D. 

Acthdr  of  Dies  Ir.e   in   Thirteen   Original   Versions; 

Old  Gems  in  New  Settings;  The  Life  and  Teachings  ok  olr  Lord   in  Verse 

The  Microcosm  and  other  Poems,  etc. 


NEW  YORK : 

D.   APPLETON  &  COMPANY. 

i,  3  &  5  Bond  Street, 

1888. 


Copyright,  1887, 

BY 

ABRAHAM     COLES 


Advertiser  Printing   House, 
newark,  n.  j. 


CONTENTS. 


INTRODUCTION  : 

I.  The  Psalms — their  Character,        ...  v 

II.  Historical  Sketch  of  the  French,  English  and 

Scotch  Metrical  Versions  of  the  Psalms,         -       xiv 

III.  Notes,  Critical,  Historical  and  Biographical,        xxvi 
Testimonies  to  the  Excellence  of    the  Psalms, 

THE  PSALMS— A   New  Rendering  01     mil   Whole  into 

English  Verse,      -  1-291 


INTRODUCTION. 


I.— THE  PSALMS  — THEIR  CHARACTER. 

THREE  thousand  years  ago  the  Hebrew  Decachord,  "  The  Ten- 
stringed  Law,"  was  boldly  swept  by  Prophet-fingers.  The 
sweetness  of  the  music  has  filled  the  world.  The  chords  are  vibrat- 
ing yet.  "Voice  and  Verse,  those  sphere-born  harmonious  sisters, 
wed  their  divine  sounds,"  fitly  preluding, 

"  That  undisturbed  song  of  pure  concent, 
Aye  sung  before  the  sapphire-colored  throne 
To  Him  that  sits  thereon, 
With  saintly  shout  and  solemn  jubilee;— 
Where  the  bright  Seraphim  in  burning  row. 
Their  loud  uplifted  angel  trumpets  blow, 
And  the  Cherubic  hosts,  in  thousand  quires, 
Touch  their  immortal  harps  of  golden  wires, 
With  those  just  spirits  that  wear  victorious  palms, 
Hymns  devout  and  holy  psalms 
Singing  everlastingly." 

The  inspiration  of  the  Psalms  is  not  pagan  and  feigned;  not 
merely  poetic,  but  really  and  truly  divine.  We  believe  them  to  be 
in  a  high  and  special  sense  God-inspired.  The  Muse  is  avowedly 
"  Heavenly  "  —  the  same 

"  That  on  the  secret  top 
Of  Oreb  and  of  Sinai  did  inspire 
That  Shepherd  who  first  taught  the  chosen  seed 
In  the  beginning  how  the  heavens  and  earth 
Rose  out  of  chaos." 

Undoubtedly  the  Psalms  were  written  for  our  learning,  and  weie 
meant  for  all  time.  So  long  as  man  is  man  they  must  have  a  func- 
tion for  him.  Other  things  grow  old,  but  these  do  not.  Other 
things  die,  but  these  live.     Cut  across  the  arteries  of  their  life  any- 


VI  INTRODUCTION. 


where,  and  they  bleed.  We  listen  and  we  hear  a  heart  beating  and 
throbbing,  timed  to  our  own.  No  mirror  reflects  the  features  more 
faithfully  than  these  do  the  heart  and  life  of  man.  They  cover  all 
varieties  of  human  experience.  No  joy,  no  sorrow,  no  fear,  no 
hope,  but  find  there  suitable  expression.  All  heights  and  depths  are 
explored.  "  Heaven  hides  nothing,  nor  the  deep  tract  of  hell." 
The  realism  is  intense. 

For  however  inspired  and  "  enriched  by  the  Eternal  Spirit  with  all 
utterance  and  knowledge,"  we  are  sure  that  the  Singer  is  one  of  us 
—  is  a  man  of  like  passions  and  like  organs  —  so  that,  if  by  virtue 
of  his  prophetic  office,  he  is  able  to  telescope  the  heavens,  even  the 
heaven  of  heavens,  and  see  farther  than  we,  he,  nevertheless,  is 
compelled  to  see  with  our  eyes;  and  since  he  sees  not  for  himself 
alone  but  for  others,  and  it  is  made  his  duty  to  make  full  report  of 
all  he  sees,  his  discoveries  can  have,  we  suppose,  no  higher  mean- 
ing for  him  than  for  us.  For  knowing  only  in  part,  he  prophesies 
only  in  part.  The  organ  of  prophecy  with  which  he  is  gifted,  being 
restricted  in  its  exercise  and  utterance,  can  go  just  so  far  and  no 
farther. 

We  value  the  Psalms  for  what  they  are,  and  not  for  what  they  are 
not.  It  does  not  affect  the  question  of  their  inspiration,  that  ''  the 
song  is  partial;  "  that  they  do  not  contain  all  truth;  that  some  things 
were  kept  back,  we  must  believe,  purposely  and  for  wise  reasons. 
We  are  told,  "  It  is  the  glory  of  God  to  conceal  a  matter"  —  the 
foolishness  of  God  is  wiser  than  man  — for  everything  there  is  a 
time.  It  is  enough  to  know  that  the  All-Wise  judged  it  best  to  make 
His  revelations  gradual,  to  let  the  twilight  precede  the  dawn,  the 
dawn  the  sun-rising.  This  being  according  to  the  analogy  of  nature, 
why  should  it  be  thought  strange  that  certain  truths  should  have 
been  kept  in  abeyance  —  that,  for  example,  a  clear,  explicit  and  pos- 
itive affirmation  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Future  Life  should  have  been 
withheld  in  those  first  ages,  so  that  even  inspired  men  were  left  in 
comparative  ignorance?  That  their  ignorance  was  absolute  is  not 
asserted.  Their  belief  may  have  been  defective,  but  it  never  amounted 
to  a  disbelief.  That  they  had  an  apprehension  more  or  less  distinct  of  a 
Conscious  Hereafter,  both  for  the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  Psalms 


IN  TR  OD  UC  TION.  vji 


16:11;  17:15;  49:  14,  15,  may  be  cited  in  proof.  The  doctrine, 
moreover,  was  so  bound  up  with  other  beliefs  implying  it,  that  it 
was  a  necessity  of  reason.  For  we  find  it  everywhere  assumed  as  a 
fundamental  truth,  that  righteousness  shall  be  rewarded  and  wicked- 
ness punished;  that  though  the  bad  prosper  in  life,  and  have  no 
bands  in  their  death,  there  is  for  them  an  unfulfilled  retribution. 

No  one  can  forsee  all  the  applications  and  bearings  of  the  simplest 
truth.  The  discoverer  of  electricity  had  little  prescience  of  the 
astonishing  uses  to  which  it  would  be  put.  In  this  respect,  the  child 
of  to-day  knows  more  of  its  powers  than  the  wisest  philosopher  had 
dreamed  of  a  few  years  ago.  As  it  was  with  the  philosopher,  so  it 
was,  we  have  reason  to  believe,  with  the  prophet.  He  was  half- 
ignorant  of  what  he  taught.     "  He  builded  better  than  he  knew." 

Of  the  prophet  we  may  not  know  even  the  name;  nor  is  it  impor- 
tant that  we  should.  It  is  the  message,  not  the  messenger,  that 
concerns  us.  We,  upon  whom  the  ends  of  the  world  have  come, 
have  clearly  one  advantage.  We  have  witnessed  the  fulfillment  of 
many  things  which  prophetic  vision  only  dimly  descried  and  imper- 
fectly understood.  Time,  in  his  onward  flight,  has  overtaken  the 
thing  predicted,  and  left  it  behind.  The  mills  of  Providence  grind 
slowly,  but  constantly  and  surely,  and  the  event  prophesied,  at  the 
proper  moment,  punctually  happened.  Then  it  was  that  all  enigmas 
were  solved  and  all  uncertainties  cleared  up.  When  the  sun  arises, 
"  All  the  stars  hide  their  diminished  heads."  Among  those  born  of 
woman,  there  was  none,  no  prophet  greater  than  John  the  Baptist, 
but  the  least  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  greater  than  he.  He  is 
exalted  to  a  higher  dignity  of  privilege  and  knowledge.  But  it  is  in 
vain  that  the  sun  shines  if  we  wilfully  close  our  eyes.  Amid  noon- 
day's splendors  we  can,  if  we  choose,  dwell  in  darkness.  Aside 
from  Revelation  we  know  how  inconsequent  a  being  man  is.  We 
who  live  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  those  things,  which  ancient 
worthies  saw  afar  off  and  were  glad,  fall  behind  them  in  many  ways. 
How  the  ardor  of  their  devotion  shames  the  coldness  of  ours  ! 
What  love  to  God  did  they  express!  What  trust  in  Him!  What 
zeal  for  His  worship!  What  attachment  to  His  law!  What  hunger- 
ings  and  thirstings  after  righteousness!     Considering    that  all  this 


yiii  INTRODUCTION. 


was  true  of  men,  who,  so  far  from  having  our  light,  dwelt  in  com- 
parative darkness,  knowing  little  of  God  and  His  truth  — we  blush 
the  more.  With  motives  to  righteousness  so  inferior  ( He  not 
having  yet  come  who  brought  life  and  immortality  to  light),  they 
nevertheless  pursued  it  as  the  supreme  good,  never  doubting  that 
well-being  depended  on  well-doing.  Without  knowing  that  God  so 
loved  the  world  as  to  give  His  only-begotten  Son,  they  still  loved 
Him  with  a  rapturous  affection.  Without  understanding  the  dear 
and  affecting  reasons  which  justified  the  gratuitous  imputation,  they 
could  wonder  at  the  grace  and  rejoice  in  the  blessedness  of  the  man 
to  whom  the  Lord  imputed  righteousness  without  works.  While  all 
this  goes  to  prove  the  falsity  of  the  allegation  that  the  service  of  God 
is  a  mercenary  transaction,  and  that  the  worshipper  is  selfishly 
devout,  having  his  eye  fixed  on  the  recompense  of  reward  —  it 
enhances  the  value  of  those  joyful  anticipations  of  Christian  truths 
which  make  their  harp  sound  so  sweetly  in  Christian  ears.  The 
creed  of  the  heart  is  often  in  advance  of  the  intellect,  for  therein  is 
resident  the  "  prophetic  soul."  Trust  is  more  than  theory,  and  love 
than  knowledge.  The  Psalms  do  not  need  any  modern  manipula- 
tion to  fit  them  for  Christian  Worship. 
Prayer  is  the  child  of  need.     Standing  on 

"  The  great  altar-stairs 
That  slope  through  darkness  up  to  God," 

prayer  is  sometimes,  even  in  good  men.  little  better  than 

"  An  infant  crying  in  the  night, 
An  infant  crying  for  the  light, 
And  with  no  language  but  a  cry." 

But  the  Psalms  are  a  perpetual  rebuke  to  all  skeptic  confusions. 
To  the  Hebrew  bard  God  was  the  Supreme  Reality.  He  was  an 
example  to  all  ages  of  Trust.  He  felt  it  good  to  trust  in  Him;  to 
throw  all  his  burdens  at  His  feet.  He  never  doubted  in  darkest 
hours  that  He  cared  for  him.  He  endured  as  seeing  Him  Who  is 
invisible.  God's  Face  was  so  clearly  mirrored  in  his  heart  that  he 
saw  its  varying  expression.    He  saw  it  now  dressed  in  smiles,  and  now 


INTRODUCTION.  [x 


in  frowns.  If  the  frown  was  the  projection  of  conscience,  it  was  no 
less  the  frown  of  God.  If  he  sometimes  mistook  outward  calamity, 
sickness,  low  spirits,  for  tokens  of  Divine  displeasure,  that  must  be 
ascribed  to  the  imperfection  of  his  knowledge.  It  was  important 
that  he  should  realize  that  God's  love  was  not  a  weak  favoritism  — 
something  to  presume  on.  He  came  with  all  boldness  to  the  throne 
of  Grace,  pushed  forward  by  the  urgency  of  his  need.  He  was 
absolutely  sincere.  He  exemplified  an  actual  approach  of  a  human 
soul  to  its  Maker;  and  thus  the  mouth  of  man  was  brought  close  to  the 
ear  of  God.  We  are  sure  the  words  he  spoke  were  pleasing  and 
acceptable  words;  that  the  cry  of  penitence  and  the  prayer  for  par- 
don were  heard  and  answered.  We  are  impressed  with  the  sublim- 
ity of  the  spectacle.  We  are  more  convinced  than  ever,  that  the 
soul  on  its  knees  is  the  right  posture;  and  that  to  refuse  worship  is 
to  do  violence  to  the  fitness  of  things,  and  to  incur  proportionate 
guilt  and  loss. 

Man's  superiority  over  all  the  creatures  that  surround  him  consists 
in  this:  That  he  alone  is  capable  of  religion.  The  tie  that  unites 
him  to  his  Maker  is  not  only  one  of  creatureship  but  sonship.  To 
sever  this  tie,  to  ignore  his  divine  relationship — with  feet  standing 
on  the  steps  of  the  Eternal  Throne  to  refuse  to  mount,  what  mad- 
ness !  In  the  lapse  of  the  centuries  man's  relation  to  God  has  under- 
gone no  change.  The  relation  is  one  of  character.  A  right  relation  is 
full  of  blessedness.  All  sin,  all  misery  springs  from  a  wrong  attitude. 
It  is  easy  to  see  how,  to  a  creature  "so  fearfully  and  wonderfully 
made" — so  complex  in  himself  and  so  related  to  every  thing  else — 
this  must  be  so.  It  is  easy  to  understand,  how  all  the  ministers  of 
good  to  which  he  stands  related  should  become  the  ministers  of  evil  ; 
how,  through  a  false  adjustment,  every  avenue  of  pleasure  should  be 
made  an  avenue  of  pain  ;  how  completely  atheistic  folly  and  the  in- 
sanity of  wickedness  should  be  able  to  frustrate  the  best  designs  of 
Infinite  Beneficence;  how  effectually  health  and  happiness  can  be 
made  exiles  and  outcasts  from  the  Human  Organism  by  indulgence  in 
that  which  is  forbidden.  Van  Helmont  conceived  the  existence  of  an 
immaterial  principle,  which,  present  from  the  beginning,  presides 
over  the  development  of  the  body,  and  over  all  organic  phenomena. 


IXTRODUCTIOK 


Besides  this  chief  one,  which  he  called  Archeus,  and  located  in  the 
upper  orifice  of  the  stomach,  he  admitted  several  subordinate  ones, 
one  for  each  organ,  each  of  them  being  liable  to  anger,  caprice, 
terror,  and  every  human  feeling.  While  this  may  be  fanciful  in  form, 
it  is  substantially  true.  The  approaches  to  the  Tree  of  Life  were  not 
more  jealously  guarded  by  Cherubim  and  flaming  sword,  than  is  the 
gateway  to  every  particular  cell  that  goes  to  make  up  the  totality  of  the 
organs,  by  the  guardian  powers  whose  office  it  is  to  resent  and  resist 
the  entrance  of  what  is  alien  and  hurtful.  Woe  to  the  individual  if 
this  vital  constabulary,  instituted  in  the  interests  of  order  and  virtue, 
should  be  overpowered.  A  watchful  instinct  resident  in  the  stomach 
sounds  the  alarm  when  the  body  demands  food;  and  manifests  terror 
and  rage  when  compliance  is  too  long  delayed.  What  powerful  dis- 
gusts and  repugnances  and  efforts  at  rejection  attend  the  introduction 
of  some  irritant  poison,  instead  of  wholesome  nourishment !  No  one 
can  say,  but  what  this  is  necessary  for  the  safety  and  welfare  of  the 
body.  That  punishment  should  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  violated 
law  is  the  best  proof  we  have  of  Creative  Love  and  Wisdom.  The 
connection  between  sin  and  suffering  is  not  arbitrary.  It  is  simply 
cause  and  consequence.  The  conditions  of  being  are  not  more  abso- 
lutely fixed  than  those  of  well-being.  We  are  bound  to  the  universe 
by  innumerable  ties,  and  we  cannot  sever  a  single  one.  In  this  sense 
we  are  helpless;  in  another,  we  are  all  powerful,  for  we  have  the 
power  of  adjusting  the  manner  of  our  relation,  so  as  to  make  it 
normal  or  abnormal,  right  or  wrong,  false  or  true.  Nothing  in 
Nature  is  evil  of  itself.  Take  what  you  will — take  fire  if  you  please. 
It  burns  you  or  warms  you  according  to  your  actual  position  to  it. 
In  itself  it  is  the  most  friendly  of  powers;  you  could  not  live  without 
it.  Through  a  long  life,  up  to  the  present  moment  it  has  been  to  you 
a  minister  of  good.  But  this  will  not  prevent  this  very  hour  the 
manifestation  of  a  terrible  resentment  should  you  dare  to  trifle  with 
it — to  cross  so  much  as  a  line  the  proper  limit  of  your  approach.  Its 
genial  heat  will  then  be  converted  into  wrathful  flame  and  consume 
you  to  ashes. 

The  Psalms  are  full  of  bold  anthropomorphisms.  In  the  second 
Psalm,  for  example,  derisive  laughter,  and  wrath  are  attributed  to 


INTRODUCTION.  xi 


Deity.  Admitting  that  this  is  speaking  after  the  manner  of  men,  ' 
and  that  the  terms  employed  are  not  to  be  too  strictly  interpreted, 
there  is  no  room  for  doubt  as  to  their  meaning.  They  fitly  and 
powerfully  express  the  divine  antagonism  to  all  evil  and  evildoers. 
That  this  does  not  misrepresent  Him  is  conclusively  proved  by  what 
we  see  of  Him  in  Nature.  It  is  true  that  anger  in  man  is  not  the 
same  as  anger  in  God — inevitably  so,  for  the  quality  of  anger  depends 
upon  character.  There  are  we  know  diversities  of  anger  even  among 
men.     The  anger  of  a  good  man  is  not  the  anger  of  a  bad  one. 

Anger  to  be  right  must  be  moral.  It  must  be  void  of  malice.  It 
must  be  justified  by  the  occasion.  It  must  not  be  in  excess.  When 
it  is  the  pure  expression  of  the  sentiment  of  Justice  there  is  nothing 
holier.  It  thus  approximates  to  what  we  may  suppose  anger  to  be  in 
the  Divine  Mind.  It  is  a  measured  and  righteous  indignation  against 
sin.  It  is  the  repulsion  of  Infinite  Purity  from  that  which  is  not  pure. 
Not  only  is  it  compatible  with  Love,  but  it  is  one  of  the  forms  in 
which  Infinite  Love  manifests  itself.  Its  inexorableness  is  the  inex- 
orableness  of  Love,  or  Law,  which  is  but  another  name  for  Love. 
Penalty,  which  is  an  essential  constituent  of  Law,  is  a  kind  of  anger. 
For  Law  as  found  in  Nature,  we  repeat,  everywhere  resents  violation. 
Anger  is  the  defensive  property  of  things.  Every  atom  is  armed  with 
it.  The  minutest  insect  has  its  sting.  Every  thing  is  sovereign  in  its 
own  sphere  with  rights  and  prerogatives  of  vengeance.  Individual 
sanctities  may  not  be  invaded.  Out  of  this  arises,  as  said  before,  an 
universal  police  necessary  to  the  conservation  of  order  throughout 
the  Universe.  Lcok  where  we  will,  we  find  that  every  thing  has  two 
aspects  or  faces — one  all  smiles,  the  other  all  frowns;  and  it  depends 
very  much  upon  ourselves  which  is  turned  towards  us.  So  far  as  we 
can  discover,  the  God  seen  in  Nature  and  the  God  declared  in  Reve- 
lation are  the  same  God.  He  is  not  more  the  God  of  vengeance  in 
the  one  than  He  is  in  the  other.  He  undoubtedly  is  so  in  both;  but 
we  will  not  be  guilty  of  the  folly  of  closing  our  eyes  to  the  proofs  of 
His  goodness.  They  are  scattered  everywhere  throughout  the  uni- 
verse, but  what  a  divine  thing  it  is.  to  have  it  put  in  human  speech, 
and  compressed  in  three  words,  God  is  Love. 

The  Divine  Government  is  not  more  august  than  it  is  lovely.     It 


xii  INTRODUCTION. 


exists  for  the  good  of  the  governed.  The  meanest  subject  is  God's 
darling.  All  the  powers  of  the  Universe,  and  His  almightiness  are 
pledged  for  his  protection  and  safety,  so  long  as  he  remains  loyal  and 
law-abiding.  But  suppose  he  does  not  remain  so,  what  happens  then  ? 
Only  what  happens  in  every  well  ordered  human  government  under 
like  circumstances.  To  the  loyal  and  obedient,  Law  is  paternal  and 
benign.  It  is  a  shield  and  a  high  tower.  But  not  so  to  its  violators. 
To  them  it  wears  a  changed  aspect,  full  of  dreadful  menace.  To  the 
end  that  it  may  appear  to  all  men  that  it  does  not  bear  the  sword  in 
vain,  it  is  not  slow  nor  slack  to  punish.  It  arrests  and  brooks  no 
resistence.  It  consigns  to  dungeons.  It  hangs  on  the  gallows.  Can 
it  be  that  this  is  the  self-same  power  that  one  moment  before  the 
crime  was  committed  was  firmly  and  solemnly  pledged  for  the  felon's 
safe-keeping,  protesting  that  not  a  hair  of  his  head  should  be  injured  ? 
Even  so.  The  Law  stands  upright,  but  the  transgressor  holds  towards 
it  an  inverted  position,  and  by  virtue  of  this  inversion  he  is  emptied 
of  all  his  rights  under  the  Law.  Law  is  not  simply  preceptive — it  is 
command  backed  by  penalty.  This  is  true  of  man's  law,  and  it  is 
true  of  God's  law. 

Human  government  sometimes  undertakes  to  pardon,  and  to  rees- 
tablish the  criminal  in  his  former  relations:  but,  to  remove  the  falsity 
of  a  corrupt  nature,  to  correct  the  insane  inclination  of  the  heart  to 
evil,  transcends  her  power.  Here  the  analogy  fails  between  human 
government  and  the  divine.  What  is  not  possible  to  man  is  possible 
to  God.  He  can  both  pardon  and  save.  He  can  make  the  guilty  soul 
pure,  and  the  sick  soul  well.  For  not  only  has  He  provided  remedies 
to  heal  the  flesh  but  to  heal  the  spirit  also;  and  thus,  by  a  true  restora- 
tion to  old  relations,  man  is  made  just  the  same  as  if  he  had  never 
sinned. 

Physicians  in  the  treatment  of  disease  rely  on  an  automatic  force 
or  tendency,  denominated  vis  medicatrix  Natunc, which,  if  it  does  not 
in  every  case  suffice  for  cure,  always  aids  it.  Conscience  may  be  said 
to  answer  to  this  in  man's  moral  and  spiritual  economy,  operating  as 
a  vis  medicatrix  in  the  recovery  of  a  sick  soul.  While  not  adequate 
alone  to  meet  all  the  exigencies  of  man's  desperate  condition,  with 
"his  whole  head  sick  and  his  whole  heart  faint,"  it  continues  to  be 


IXTRODITT/OX.  xiii 


the  indispensable  fulcrum  upon  which  the  lever  of  Help  must  rest. 
Salvation  is  a  return  to  wholeness,  or  holiness,  without  which  no  man 
can  see  the  Lord.  The  Psalmist  celebrates  the  felicity  of  "the  man 
whose  iniquity  is  forgiven,  whose  sin  is  covered — to  whom  the  Lord 
imputeth  not  iniquity,"  or  as  Paul  construes  it,  "imputeth  righteous- 
ness without  works."  Regeneration  can  only  mean  a  readjustment 
of  right  relations  of  the  soul  of  man  to  the  Universe  and  its  Maker. 
Found  in  his  place  and  in  harmony  with  his  surroundings,  then,  as 
Herbert  sings: 

"  Man  is  all  symmetry, 

Full  of  proportions,  one  limb  to  another, 

And  to  all  the  world  besides. 

Each  part  may  call  the  farthest,  brother; 
For  head  with  foot  hath  privy  amity, 

And  both  with  moons  and  tides. 

"  Nothing  hath  got  so  far, 

But  man  hath  caught  and  kept  it  as  his  prey; 

His  eyes  dismount  the  highest  star; 

He  is  in  little  all  the  sphere. 
Herbs  gladly  cure  our  flesh,  because  that  they 

Find  their  acquaintance  there. 

"  For  us,  the  winds  do  blow, 

The  earth  doth  rest,  heavens  move,  and  fountains  flow; 

Nothing  we  see  but  means  our  good, 

As  our  delight,  or  as  our  treasure; 
The  whole  is  either  our  cupboard  of  food, 

Or  cabinet  of  pleasure. 

"  The  stars  have  us  to  bed: 

Night  draws  the  curtain,  which  the  sun  withdraws. 

Music  and  light  attend  our  head. 

All  things  unto  our  flesh  are  kind, 
In  their  descent  and  being;  to  our  mind, 

In  their  ascent  and  cause. 

"  More  servants  wait  on  man 

Than  he'll  take  notice  of.     In  every  path, 

He  treads  down  that  which  doth  befriend  him 

When  sickness  makes  him  pale  and  wan. 
O  mighty  love  !     Man  is  one  world,  and  hath 

Another  to  attend  him." 


xi  v  IN  TR  OD  UC  TION. 

II.— METRICAL   VERSIONS   OF   THE    PSALMS. 
FRENCH,  ENGLISH    AND    SCOTCH. 


THE  earliest  attempt  of  which  we  have  any  record  to  turn  the 
Psalms  into  English  Verse  was  made  in  the  Thirteenth  Cen- 
tury, and  was  known  as  the  Northumberland  Psalter.  It  was  fol- 
lowed in  the  next  Century  by  another,  the  woik  of  Richard  Rolle, 
the  Hermit  of  Hampole.  The  Council  of  Toulouse  in  1229  inter- 
dicted the  Bible  to  the  laity,  but  made  an  exception  in  favor  of  the 
Psalter.  Periods  of  religious  revival  in  all  ages  have  been  favorable 
to  the  growth  of  Sacred  Song.  The  Psalms  themselves  may  be 
regarded  as  the  intense  outcome  of  the  religious  life  of  ancient 
Israel,  as  displayed  in  the  individual  or  the  nation,  while  they  served 
to  signalize  and  punctuate  different  epochs  and  special  crises  in  the 
history  of  the  Jewish  people.  The  historic  books  of  the  Bible,  it  is 
safe  to  say,  do  not  give  so  clear  an  insight  into  the  character  of 
those  remote  times  as  the  Psalms.  David's  history  is  a  very  event- 
ful one,  and  full  of  romance,  and  is  well  calculated  to  excite  a  lively 
interest;  but  the  story  of  his  life,  without  the  lyric  supplement  sup- 
plied by  the  Psalms,  would  be  divested  of  its  greatest  charm. 
Prose  deals,  for  the  most  part,  with  the  outward  and  objective;  and 
usually  practises  reserve  in  regard  to  what  is  subjective  and 
private.  Not  so  with  Poetry,  particularly  Lyric  Poetry.  That 
delights  in  self-revelations.  It  has  to  do  with  the  facts  of  the  inner 
life.  It  keeps  nothing  back.  It  is  the  soul  on  fire.  It  kindles 
others.  The  little  spark  becomes  a  spreading  conflagration.  The 
poet,  not  infrequently,  is  the  truest  and  best  historian. 

It  has  been  often  exemplified  in  modern  times,  that  nothing  lies 
so  near  the  popular  heart,  and  is  so  fitted  to  awaken  its  enthusiasm, 
as  Song.  A  wise  man  said  long  ago,  "  If  a  man  were  permitted  to 
make  all  the  ballads  of  a  nation,  he  need  not  care  who  should  make 
its  laws."     This  was  peculiarly  true  when  the  people  knew  only  what 


INTRODUCTION.  xv 


was  stored  in  their  memories.  Verse,  making  knowledge  portable 
and  pleasing,  would  naturally  be  more  valued  then,  than  in  an  age 
of  printed  books  and  multitudinous  newspapers.  But  the  first 
effect  following  the  invention  of  printing  was  to  awaken  an  insa- 
tiable curiosity  in  regard  to  the  writings  handed  down  from  antiquity, 
especially  the  Holy  Scriptures,  leading  to  a  demand  for  translations 
in  the  vernacular,  and  preparing  men  to  give  them  a  boundless 
welcome  as  soon  as  they  appeared.  Metrical  Versions  of  the 
Psalms  in  the  mother-tongue  not  only  attended  the  ushering-in  of 
the  Reformation,  but  aided  materially  in  bringing  it  about.  Their 
history  as  pertaining  to  different  countries  is  full  of  interest. 

In  France,  the  earliest  of  these  was  that  of  Clement  Marot,  who, 
even  in  our  day,  has  been  described  as  the  most  agreeable,  if  not 
one  of  the  greatest,  poets  of  France,  and  a  figure  of  all  but  the  first 
importance  in  her  literary  history.  He  was  born  in  1495  and  died 
in  1544.  He  was  Valet  de  Chambre  to  Francis  I.,  and  accompanied 
him  in  his  disastrous  Italian  campaign.  He  was  wounded  and  taken 
prisoner,  but  soon  liberated,  and  was  again  in  Paris  in  1525. 
Accused  of  heresy,  he  was  thrown  into  prison.  After  his  release, 
finding  his  liberty  again  in  jeopardy,  he  fled  to  Geneva.  Here  he 
added  Twenty  Psalms  to  the  Thirty  already  published.  They  were 
set  to  music  by  the  celebrated  composer  Goudemel,  the  master  of 
Palestrina,  a  musical  composer  of  still  greater  celebrity.  Goudemel 
was  a  Protestant,  and  was  one  of  the  victims  of  the  massacre  of  St. 
Bartholomew.  Marot's  translations  were  very  popular.  The 
powerful  influence  which  the  book  exercised  on  contemporaries  is 
not  denied  by  any  one.  The  great  persons  of  the  Court  chose  dif- 
ferent pieces,  each  as  his  or  her  favorite.  They  were  sung  in  Court 
and  city;  and  they  are  said,  with  probable  exaggeration,  but  with  a 
basis  of  truth,  to  have  done  more  than  any  thing  else  to  advance  the 
cause  of  the  Reformation  in  France.  At  a  later  period,  having  been 
proscribed  by  the  Sorbonne,  *  their  use  became  almost  exclusively 
confined  to  the  Protestants.      An  edition  of  his  Fifty  Psalms  was 

*  It  is  remarkable  that  as  late  as  1563  an  edition  was  printed  at  Lyons,  "  Avtt 
privilege"  during  the  reign  of  Charles  IX..  so  that  the  order  interdicting  their 
use  was  probably  later. 


X  vi  IX  TROD  UC  TJON. 


published  in  Geneva  in  1543,  to  which  Calvin  prefixed  a  long  Pre- 
face. The  particular  Psalms  translated  by  him  were:  Psalms  1  to 
19,  22,  23,  24,  25,  32,  33,  36,  37,  38,  43,  45,  46,  50,  51,  72,  79,  86,  91, 
101,  103,  104,  107,  no,  113,  114,  115,  128,  130,  137,  138,  143  =  50. 
The  date  of  composition  affixed  to  Psalm  1.  is  1540.  The  render- 
ings are  in  a  variety  of  metres.  Some  of  the  beautiful  airs  to  which 
they  were  set  still  survive.  Subsequently  to  Marot's  Fifty,  Calvin 
added  Two,  and  Theodore  Beza  the  remaining  Ninety-Eight  —  thus 
the  French  Psalter  was  made  complete.  The  whole  was  known  as 
Marot  and  Beza's  Version,  but  still  oftener,  perhaps,  was  spoken  of 
as  Marot's  alone. 

It  became  to  the  Huguenots  their  most  precious  Manual  of  Devo- 
tion. They  learned  the  verses  by  heart,  and  taught  them  to  their 
children.  It  was  in  vain  that  the  singing  of  them  was  forbidden  — 
they  continued  to  sing  them  at  the  peril  of  their  lives.  When  driven 
from  their  homes,  hunted  and  persecuted,  they  broke  the  silence  of 
the  Desert  with  their  murmured  melodies,  and  betrayed  their  hiding- 
places  by  an  irrepressible  utterance.  In  their  battles  for  the  Rights 
of  Conscience,  they  used  them  to  nerve  their  hands  and  fire  their 
hearts.  They  beguiled  the  weariness  of  long  marches  by  the  music 
of  their  words;  and  in  loud  chorus  they  shouted  some  sacred  Battle 
Hymn  as  they  rushed,  forgetful  of  danger,  with  irresistible  clan 
against  the  enemy;  and  in  the  crowning  close,  when  victory  perched 
on  their  banners,  some  remembered  Psalm  of  Praise  and  Thanks- 
giving burst  simultaneously  from  ten  thousand  lips.  They  found 
consolation  in  them  under  disappointment  and  defeat.  Their 
attachment  to  them  triumphed  over  the  rack.  They  sang  them  in 
prison  and  on  the  scaffold.  Condemned  to  the  galleys,  they  light- 
ened slavish  toil  by  timing  the  stroke  of  their  oars  to  their  chanted 
favorites.  They  employed  them  to  sweeten  exile,  and  to  hallow  new 
homes.  Translations  of  them  were  made  into  almost  all  the  lan- 
guages of  Europe.  The  first  Scotch  Psalter  of  1565  derived  many  of 
their  metres  and  tunes  from  this  source. 

In  England  the  first  complete  Metrical  Version  of  the  Psalms  in 
the  mother-tongue  was  that  known  as  Sternhold  and  Hopkins. 
Though  the  Version  went  by  their  name,  they  were  the  authors  of 


I X 'PRODUCT  10  X 


XV11 


only  a  part.  The  object  was,  says  old  Fuller,  in  his  quaint  and 
witty  fashion,  to  "  make  the  Psalms  portable  in  men's  memories, 
verses  being  twice  as  light  as  the  same  bulk  of  prose"  —  slyly 
adding  that  the  translators  would  seem  to  have  "  drunk  more  of 
Jordan  than  of  Helicon  during  their  labors." 

Thomas  Sternhold  was  Groom  of  the  Robes  to  Henry  VIII.  and 
Edward  VI.  He  was  born  about  1500  and  died  1549.  He  was  noted 
at  Court  for  his  poetical  talents  and  extreme  piety.  Wishing  to 
provide  a  substitute  for  the  profane  songs  in  vogue,  he  undertook 
a  translation  of  the  Psalms,  hoping  that  they  might  become  popular 
with  the  courtiers.  He  completed  only  thirty-seven  (which  were 
published  in  1549,  after  his  death),  with  seven  by  Hopkins,  under 
the  title  of  "  All  such  Psalms  of  David  as  Thomas  Sternholde,  late 
Grome  of  the  Kinges  Majestyes  Robes,  did  in  his  lyfe-time  drawe  into 
Englyshe  Metre."  The  Version  was  made  complete;  and  was  pub- 
lished in  1562,  as  "  The  Whole  Book  of  Psalms  collected  into  English 
Metre  by  T.  Sternhold,  J.  Hopkins,  and  Others,  conferred  with  the 
Ebreu,  with  apt  Xotes  to  sing  them  withal,"  —  under  which  title  it 
was  annexed  to  the  "  Book  of  Common  Prayer,"  and  adopted  under 
Elizabeth  as  the  Metrical  Version  to  be  used  by  the  Church  of 
England.  It  continued  to  be  so  used  for  135  years  (  until 
superseded  by  the  "  Xew  Version"  of  Tate  and  Brady,  first  pub- 
lished in  1696),  during  which  time  it  is  said  to  have  passed  through 
at  least  three  hundred  and  nine  distinct  editions.  Such  was  the 
attachment  of  the  people  to  it,  that  they  regarded  it  as  little  less 
than  inspired.  Even  its  faults  of  grammar  and  rhythm  became 
sacred  in  their  eyes,  and  they  were  intolerant  of  the  slightest  change. 
The  Non-conformists  continued  to  use  it  down  to  the  time  of  Watts. 

It  was  customary  in  the  successive  editions  of  the  work  to  distin- 
guish the  author  of  each  version  contributed  by  the  initials  of  his 
name  —  T.  S.  standing  for  Thomas  Sternhold;  J.  H.  for  John  Hop- 
kins,of  whom  little  is  known  except  that  he  graduated  at  Oxford  in  1 544, 
and  was  a  clergyman  and  schoolmaster;  W.  K.  for  William  Keith,  a 
Scotchman,  an  exile  with  Knox  in  1555,  and  chaplain  of  the  English 
forces  at  Havre  in  1563;  W.  W.  for  William  Whitingham,  a  brother- 
in-law  of  Calvin,  and  minister  of  the   English  refugees  at  Geneva; 


X  viii  IN  TROD  UC  TION. 


N.  for  Thomas  Norton,  translator  of  Calvin's  Institutes;.  M.  for  John 
Markand;  H.  W.  for  Henry  Wisdome;  T.  C.  for  some  person 
unknown,  unless  John  Craig  be  meant.  In  the  later  editions  some 
of  these  names  do  not  appear  as  contributors,  and  there  are  various 
changes  in  the  attribution  of  authorship.  In  the  Baskerville  edition 
of  1762  there  are  assigned  to  T.  S.  42;  to  J.  H.  27;  to  W.  W.  14;  to 
W.  K.  6;  toT.  C.  1. 

In  regard  to  the  "  New  Version,"  it  was  first  published  under  the 
title  of  an  "  Essay  of  a  New  Version  of  the  Psalms  of  David,  consist- 
ing of  the  first  Twenty,  by  N.  Brady  and  N.  Tate'  (8  vo.  1605). 
This  was  succeeded  by  "  The  Book  of  Psalms,  A  New  Version  in 
Metre  fitted  to  the  Tunes  used  in  the  Churches,  by  N.  Tate  and  N. 
Brady,"  (1696).  Nahum  Tate  was  born  in  Dublin  in  1652  and  died 
in  London  1715.  After  the  death  of  Shadwell  in  1692,  he  succeeded 
him  as  poet-laureate.  He  was  associated  with  Dryden  in  the  author- 
ship of  "  Absalom  and  Ahithophel,"  the  second  part  being  chiefly 
his  composition.  He  produced  several  dramatic  works,  among  which 
was  an  alteration  of  "  King  Lear"  from  Shakespeare,  which  long 
held  the  stage  to  the  exclusion  of  the  original.  Nicholas  Brady  was 
born  in  1659  and  died  in  1726.  He  was  partly  educated  at  Oxford, 
and  partly  at  Trinity  College,  Dublin.  He  was  the  author  of  a 
tragedy,  and  numerous  sermons.  Just  prior  to  his  death  he  pub- 
lished a  poetical  translation  of  Virgil.  His  reputation  however 
rests  chiefly  on  the  part  he  took  in  the  Metrical  Version  of  the 
Psalms.  The  Version  of  Tate  and  Brady  is  still  retained  in  the 
Book  of  Common  Prayer,  both  in  England  and  in  this  country.  In 
regard  to  the  comparative  merits  of  the  two  Versions,  while  all 
must  admit  that  the  New  is  a  great  improvement  upon  the  Old  in 
smoothness  and  correctness  of  versification,  the  advantage,  it  is 
thought,  in  some  cases  at  least,  is  more  than  counterbalanced  by  a 
falling  off  in  vigor  and  raciness,  and  the  loss  of  a  certain  homely 
quaintness  and  antique  flavor,  which  constituted  no  small  part  of 
the  charm  of  the  earlier  Version.  The  rendering  in  the  older 
Version  is  confessedly  unequal,  and  in  some  of  the  Psalms  is,  no 
doubt,  rude,  disjointed  and  uncouth,  and  thus  has  furnished  the 
occasion  for  much  cheap  wit  and  ridicule. 


INTRODUCE '7o.\ 


\1\ 


Sternhold  and  Hopkins'  Version  had  had,  for  more  than  seventy- 
years,  entire  possession  of  the  field,  when  in  1636  appeared  "  A 
Paraphrase  upon  the  Psalms  of  David,  by  George  Sandys,  set  to  New 
Tunes  for  Private  Devotion  ;  and  a  Thorough-Bass  for  Voice  and 
Instrument,  by  Henry  Larves,  Gentleman  of  His  Majesty  s  Chapel 
Royal,"  which  received  high  commendation.  Dryden  calls  him 
"  the  ingenious  and  learned  Sandys,  the  best  versifier  of  the  former 
age."  James  Montgomery  styles  his  Version  as  "  incomparably 
the  most  poetic  in  the  language,"  That  Sandys'  poetry  and  Lawes' 
music  combined  should  have  failed  to  obtain  popularity,  is  thought 
remarkable.  Lawes  wrote  the  music  to  Milton's  "  Comus,"  in 
which  he  also  acted  the  part  of  Thyrsis,  and  the  poet's  allusion  to 
the  musician  is  well  known  (Comus  494): 

'•  Thyrsis,  whose  artful  strains  have  oft  delayed 
The  huddling  brook  to  hear  his  madrigal, 
And  sweetened  every  musk-rose  of  the  dale." 

To  him,  too,  Milton  addressed  the  sonnet: 

"  Harry,  whose  tuneful  and  well  measured  song 
First  taught  our  English  music  how  to  span 
Words  with  just  note  and  accent." 

George  Sandys  (or  Sandes),  the  seventh  and  youngest  son  of 
Edwin  Sandys,  Archbishop  of  York,  according  to  the  Archbishop's 
own  entry,  "  was  born  the  2nd  day  of  March  at  six  of  the  clock  in 
the  morning  in  1557."  After  having  spent  some  time  at  Oxford,  he 
set  out  on  his  travels  in  1610,  of  which  he  published  an  account  in 
1615,  with  a  dedication  to  Charles  I.,  then  Prince  of  Wales.  The 
work  attained  great  popularity.  He  visited  the  Holy  Land,  and  the 
picture  he  gives  of  the  East  in  his  time,  particularly  of  Jerusalem,  is 
specially  interesting  and  valuable.  He  was  but  a  short  time  at 
home.  In  1606,  a  charter  of  incorporation  had  been  granted  to  the 
Adventurers  of  London  to  begin  their  first  plantation  and  seat  in 
any  place  upon  any  part  of  the  Colony  of  Virginia.  Under  date  of 
July  24,  1621,  Sir  Francis  Wyat  is  mentioned  as  Governor,  and 
George  Sandys  as  Treasurer.  It  is  interesting  to  know  that  the 
greater  part  of  his  Translation  of    "  Ovid's  Metamorphoses  "  was 


XX  1XTR0DUCTI0X 


composed  under  great  difficulties  in  the  Colony,  and  that  it  was  the 
first  considerable  book  written  in  America.  Besides  the  Psalms  he 
wrote  a  poetical  Paraphrase  of  the  Book  of  Job,  of  Ecclesiastes, 
upon  the  Song  of  Solomon,  Lamentations  of  Jeremiah,  etc.,  all 
excellently  done.     He  died  in  1643  aged  66. 

Tate  and  Brady's  Version,  already  noticed,  followed  in  1696. 
Then  we  have  Dr.  John  Patrick's  "Psalms  of  David  in  Metre'' 
which  appeared  in  1698,  from  which  it  is  said  Dr.  Watts  borrowed. 
It  is  a  book  the  writer  only  knows  by  report;  and  is  unable  to  say 
therefore  how  far  it  is  original.  In  1709  followed  Isaac  Watts' 
"  Imitations  (not  Versions)  of  the  Psalms."  His  method  was  a  new 
one.  It  virtually  consisted  in  converting  the  Psalm  into  a  Christian 
Hymn.  It  was  a  Christian  graft  on  a  Jewish  root.  The  song  was 
made  into  a  sermon.  In  this  form  it  easily  lent  itself  to  the  pur- 
poses of  Christian  worship,  but  in  order  to  make  it  serve  this  end, 
some  violence  was  necessarily  done  to  the  original.  It  has  met 
however  with  such  favor  as  to  have  become  a  model  to  all  later 
attempts  at  versification  of  the  Psalms.  While  it  may  have  its 
advantages,  they  are  not,  it  is  thought,  of  so  pronounced  a  character 
as  to  forbid  a  new  essay,  in  which  the  poet,  availing  himself  of  all 
the  results  of  modern  scholarship,  shall  give  an  English  Version  of 
the  Psalms  in  their  original  form,  without  interpolation  or  alteration 
of  any  kind,  after  the  old  manner.  Twelve  years  before,  in  1707, 
Watts  published  his  Hymns  in  Three  Books.  In  his  original  Preface 
to  his  Psalms  he  acknowledges  his  indebtedness  for  ideas  and  even 
expressions  to  Denham,  Milbourne,  and  Tate  and  Brady.  From 
Patrick  he  is  said  to  have  taken  most.  In  the  Lenox  Library  may 
be  found  Franklin's  Edition  of  Watts'  Hymns,  1741;  Joel  Barlow's 
amendments  to  his  Psalms,  1785;  and  Timothy  Dwight's  improve- 
ments to  both,  1800.  Isaac  Watts  was  born  in  1674,  died  in  1748, 
aged  74- 

"  The  Psalms  Translated  or  Paraphrased  in  English  Verse,  by 
James  Merrick,"  was  published  in  1766.  Bishop  Home  in  his 
"  Commentary  on  the  Psalms  "  frequently  refers  to  it  in  terms  of 
high  commendation,  and  quotes  from  it.  Its  chief  fault  is  said  to  be 
diffuseness.     The  author  was  born  in  1720  and  died  in  1769.     While 


INTRODUCTION'.  xxi 


he  was  at  Oxford  he  was  the  tutor  of  Lord  North.  His  poetical 
fable,  "  The  Chameleon,"  has  been  often  printed. 

Coming  nearer  our  own  times,  we  have  "  The  Book  of  Psalms 
Translated  into  English  Verse,  by  Edmund  G.  March,  London,  1832." 
John  Keble  —  author  of  "  The  Christian  Year,"  which  had  appeared 
fourteen  years  before  —  published  in  1839,  "  The  Psalter,  or  Psalms 
of  David  in  English  Verse,"  dedicated  by  permission  to  the  Lord 
Bishop  of  Oxford.  It  took  the  name  of  the  "  Oxford  Psalter." 
He  remarks  in  his  Preface:  "  The  Versions  commonly  used,  not- 
withstanding much  that  is  meritorious,  are  confessedly  deficient 
each  in  an  important  qualification.  That  of  the  Elizabethan  age 
wants  force;  that  which  dates  from  the  Revolution  fidelity.  The 
Translator  much  fears  that  the  general  character  of  his  Version  will 
be  found  to  partake  of  harshness  and  obscurity,  to  a  far  greater 
degree  than  he  could  wish;  yet  he  is  not  without  hope  that  (with  the 
permission  of  those  in  authority)  it  maybe  found  occasionally  useful 
for  congregational  singing."  The  hope  so  modestly  expressed  was 
not  fulfilled.  His  biographer,  Sir  J.  T.  Coleridge,  accounts  for  the 
coolness  of  its  reception  by  its  deficiency  in  the  singing  quality.  It 
reached  however  in  England  a  Fourth  Edition  ( 1869).  Singularly 
enough,  it  would  seem  hardly  to  have  found  its  way  to  this  country, 
and  is  comparatively  unknown. 

In  Scotland  the  first  Version  employed  in  the  Churches  after  the 
Reformation  was  mainly  that  of  Sternhold  and  Hopkins,  but  not 
exactly,  for  forty-one  had  different  renderings  by  various  authors. 
The  first  complete  Version  was  printed  at  Edinburgh  in  1564  by 
order  of  the  General  Assembly  and  was  continued  in  use  till  1650. 
It  was  the  Psalm-book  of  Knox,  Walsh,  Melville,  etc.  From  this 
sprung  the  Version  now  in  use.  The  Westminster  Assembly,  in  1643, 
undertook  the  task  of  selecting  a  New  Version.  After  comparison 
with  other  Versions  it  adopted  that  of  Francis  Rous  (or  Rouse)  and 
appointed  a  committee  to  confer  with  him  on  changes  and  emenda- 
tions. While  Rouse's  Version  was  made  the  basis,  a  number  of 
translations  drawn  from  the  old  Scottish  Psalter  and  other  sources 
were  substituted  for  his.  After  much  preliminary  pains-taking,  there 
appeared  in  1650  "  The  Psalms  of  David  in  Metre:  Translated  and 


xxii  IN  TR  OD  UC  TION 


diligently  compared  with  the  Original  Text  and  former  Translations; 
More  plain,  smooth  and  agreeable  to  the  Text  than  any  heretofore; 
Allowed  by  the  Authority  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Kirk  of 
Scotland,  and  appointed  to  be  sung  in  Congregations  and  Families." 
This  Version  has  continued  in  use  until  the  present  time.  Dr. 
James  Beattie,  the  author  of  The  Minstrel,  attributes  to  it  "a 
manly,  severe  simplicity,  without  any  affected  refinement."  Dr. 
Chalmer  thinks  it  has  "  a  charm  peculiar  to  itself."  Dr.  Robert  Lee 
describes  it  as  "  sometimes  rugged,  occasionally  sinking  to  dog- 
gerel, but  upon  the  whole  faithful,  vigorous  and  good  —  equal  if  not 
superior  to  any  other."  Sir  Walter  Scott  says,  "  Its  expression, 
though  homely,  is  plain,  forcible  and  intelligible,  and  very  often 
possesses  a  rude  sort  of  majesty  which  would  be  ill  exchanged  by 
more  elegance."  The  Marquis  of  Lome  in  1877  added  to  this 
Version,  a  Version  of  his  own,  bound  up  in  the  same  volume. 

Having  noticed  the  chief  of  the  Complete  Versions  of  the  Psalms, 
it  may  be  interesting  to  glance  at  some  of  the  partial  ones  executed 
by  distinguished  hands.  Sir  Philip  Sidney  (b.  1544,  d.  1586),  one  of 
the  most  conspicuous  figures  at  the  Court  of  Elizabeth,  the  preux 
chevalier  of  his  time,  made  a  Translation  of  a  part  of  the  Psalter 
"  into  sundry  kinds  of  verse,"  in  conjunction  with  his  accomplished 
sister,  the  Countess  of  Pembroke — "  Sidney's  sister,  Pembroke's 
mother."  It  extended  to  the  43rd  Psalm.  As  none  of  Sidney's 
writings  were  published  in  his  life-time  the  date  of  the  composition 
is  uncertain.  It  was  first  printed  in  London  in  1823.  The  worth  of 
these  paraphrases,  which  have  all  the  author's  sincerity,  directness, 
and  sweetness  of  rhythm  has  been  recognized  by  Mr.  Ruskin  who 
has  edited  them  under  the  title  of  Rock  Honeycomb  in  the  the  second 
volume  of  his  Bibliotheca  Pastorum. 

In  1625,  Lord  Bacon  published  a  small  volume  dedicated  to  "  his 
friend  Mr.  George  Herbert,"  entitled  si  Translations  of  Certaine 
Psalms  into  English  Verse."  The  actual  number  was  seven,  viz., 
Psalms  I,  12,  90,  104,  126,  137  and  149.  He  wrote  them  during 
a  fit  of  sickness  in  1624.  He  evidently  thought  well  of  them,  for, 
contrary  to  custom,  he  lost  no  time  in  giving  them  to  the  public. 
He  seems  to  have  tried  both  methods,  the  literal  and  the  free — in 


/.  \ '  TR  OD  UC  7  fOA '.  xxiil 


the  one  case  keeping  as  close  to  the  text  as  possible,  adding  no  more 
than  the  necessities  of  metre  required,  in  the  other  combining  with 
paraphrastic  freedom  an  exegetical  purpose,  representing  a  kind  of 
poetical  commentary. 

Sir  Thomas  Wyatt  made  a  paraphrase  of  the  Seven  Penitential 
Psalms.  The  Fourteenth  and  Twentieth  Psalms,  versified  by  Queen 
Elizabeth  and  King  James,  have  been  preserved. 

John  Milton  in  1648,  did  into  metre  nine  of  the  Psalms  (Pss.  So- 
88),  and  in  1653,  nine  others  (Pss.  1-8).  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  versi- 
fied Psalms  114  and  136,  making  twenty  in  all.  They  continue  to 
be  published,  and  form  a  part  of  his  Poetical  Works. 

Dean  Swift  wrote  in  pencil  in  a  copy  of  Gibb's  Poetical  Version 
of  the  first  eighteen  Psalms,  '"  I  warn  the  readers  that  this  is  a  lie, 
both  here  and  all  over  the  book;  for  these  are  not  the  Psalms  of 
David,  but  of  Dr.  Gibb."  The  grounds  of  the  Dean's  furious  dislike 
is  not  stated. 

James  Montgomery,  besides  being  the  author  of  numerous 
Hymns,  published  in  1822,  "  Songs  of  Zion,  being  Imitations  of  the 
Psalms.''  He  says  in  the  Preface:  "In  the  following  imitations  of 
portions  of  the  true  '  Songs  of  Zion"  having  followed  in  the  track  of 
none,  he  would  venture  to  hope  that  by  avoiding  the  rugged  literality 
of  some  and  the  diffusive  paraphrases  of  others,  he  may,  in  a  few 
instances,  have  approached  nearer  than  either  of  them  have  gener- 
ally done  to  the  ideal  model  of  what  devotional  poems,  in  a  modern 
tongue,  grounded  upon  the  subjects  of  ancient  Psalms,  yet  suited 
for  Christian  edification,  ought  to  be." 

Since  the  above  was  in  type,  two  other  complete  versions  have 
come  under  the  writers  notice:  In  April.  1854,  the  Venerable 
Edward  Churton,  Archdeacon  of  Cleveland,  published  a  version 
known  as  the  "  Cleveland  Psalter."  In  18S2  appeared  still  another 
metrical  version  by  William  Digby  Seymour,  Q.  C  ,  LL.  D.  There 
are  other  omissions.  Mr.  Henry  Fish  discovered  in  the  well-known 
handwriting  of  Charles  Wesley,  among  the  archives  of  a  certain 
English  College,  translations  lacking  about  twenn  -four  of  the  entire 
number  of  Psalms,  presumably  his  own,  but  curiouslv  enough  con- 
taining Tate  and  Brady's  rendering  of  Ps.  136.     It  forms  the  princi- 


X  x  i  v  ^T  TR  ODUC'l  7  ON. 


pal  part  of  the  Wesleyan  Psalter,  which  has  been  published  in  this 
country.  Mention  should  have  been  made  likewise  of  "The  Book 
of  Psalms,  Translated  into  English  Verse,"  by  George  Burgess, 
Bishop  of  Maine,  New  York,  1840. 

Richard  Baxter  (B.  1615,  D.  1691)  is  said  to  have  published  a 
metrical  version  (probably  of  a  part  only)  of  the  Psalms  which  was 
issued  a  year  after  his  death.  Joseph  Addison  (B.  1672;  D.  1719), 
the  well-known  author  of  two  much  admired  paraphrases  of  the  Nine- 
teenth and  Twenty-third  Psalms,  is  said,  upon  doubtful  authority,  to 
have  contemplated  a  metrical  version  of  the  entire  number,  had  he 
lived.  Anne  Steele  (B.  1716;  D.  1778),  whose  name  has  an  honored 
place  in  all  Modern  Collections,  wrote,  it  is  said,  144  Hymns  and  34 
Psalms.  On  account  of  the  great  looseness  of  the  language  em- 
ployed, one  cannot  always  be  sure  what  is  meant,  when  a  person  is 
spoken  of  as  having  made  a  version  of  the  Psalms,  whether  an  entire 
version  is  intended  or  only  a  partial  and  fragmentary  one.  The 
writer's  list  includes  those  versions  that  have  come  under  his  notice; 
it  is  not  pretended  that  it  comprehends  all.*  The  synopsis  is  given 
below  of  the  versions,  complete  and  partial,  in  chronological  order: 

Complete,  Sternhold  and  Hopkins'..  1562     Partial,  Sir  Thomas  Wyatt's 1540 

George  Sandys' 1636  "        Sir  Philip  Sidney's 1583 

"  Scotch  Version  (Rous's)..  1643  "        Lord   Bacon's 1625 

"  Tate  and  Brady's 1696  "        John  Milton's... 1648,1653 

"  John  Patrick's 1698  "        Richard  Baxter's ...1691 

"  Isaac  Watts' ---*7*9  "        Charles  Wesley's -1778 

"  James  Merrick's 1765  "        Anne  Steele's 1778 

"  Edmund  G.  Marsh's 1832  "        James   Montgomery's 1822 

"  John  Keble's 1839 

"  Bishop   Burgess's 1840 

"  Archdeacon  Churton's...i854 

"  Marquis  of  Lome's 1877 

"  W.  D.  Seymour's 1882 

In  regard  to  the  Version  here  given,  'The  book  must  be  its  own 

*  It  is  stated  that  the  first  printing  press  in  America  was  put  up  at  Cambridge, 
in  1639,  by  Stephen  Day,  and  the  first  book  printed  upon  it  was  "The  Psalms  in 
Metre,  faithfully  translated  for  the  use,  edification  and  comfort  of  the  saints,  in 
public  and  private,  especially  in  New  England,  printed  at  Cambridge  in  1640." 
The  Pilgrim  Fathers  entered  on  their  records,  "Stephen  Day,  being  the  first  that 


INTRODUCTION.  xxv 


defense.'  If  all  attempts,  hitherto  made,  have,  as  some  allege,  been 
failures,  this,  at  the  worst,  can  only  add  one  to  the  number.  We 
are  told  by  a  recent  writer,  "  Poetical  translations  of  the  Psalms 
postulate  their  own  failure.  Parallelisms  cannot  be  cramped  into 
eights  and  sixes."*  Keble  in  the  Preface  to  his  own  Version  says: 
"  It  was  undertaken  with  a  serious  apprehension,  which  has  grown 
into  a  full  conviction,  that  the  thing  attempted  is,  strictly  speaking, 
impossible ■."  These  strong  expressions  are  adapted,  certainly,  to  im- 
press one  with  the  great  difficulty  of  the  task,  and  to  deter  all  but 
the  most  bold  from  ever  engaging  in  it.  But  surely  something  can 
be  said  on  the  other  side.  The  first  writer  quoted,  admits,  "that 
the  Psalms  may  not  only  be  understood  but  profoundly  felt,  by 
those  who  have  not  earned  the  privilege  of  following  them  in  the 
divine  original.'^  It  is  fortunate  that  this  is  so,  considering  how 
small  is  the  number  who  have  earned  this  privilege.  It  is  not  at 
all  surprising,  that  many  should  prefer  the  prose  renderings  of  the 
Prayer  Book  and  the  Bible,  on  aesthetic  and  other  grounds,  for  in 
them  we  have  preserved  the  peculiar  verse-structure  of  the  Hebrew 
original  in  a  great  degree.  Ewald  compares  its  parallelisms  to  the 
"  alternate  beat  of  wings";  and  Herder  speaks  of  it  as  "that  lan- 
guage of  the  heart,  which  has  never  said  all,  but  ever  has  something 
more  to  say."  All  this  is  true.  But  it  is  difficult  to  see  why  the 
meaning,  which  after  all  is  the  essential  thing,  cannot  be  conveyed 
equally,  or  almost  as  well,  in  another  form.  In  regard  to  Metrical 
Versions,  imperfect  as  they  have  been,  all  history  for  the  last  three 
hundred  years  is  full  of  attestations  to  their  value  and  efficiency. 
Witness  Marot's  Version,  which  wielded  such  a  mighty  influence  in 
bringing   about    the    Reformation   in    France.      Witness    the   Scotch 

set  up  printing,  is  granted  three  hundred  acres  of  land,  where  it  may  be  con- 
venient without  prejudice  to  any  town."     Below  is  a  verse  of  one  of  the  Psalms 
in  the  Indian  tongue,  as  printed  for  their  use  by  Eliot  in  1663 : 
"  Kesuk  Kukootumushteaumoo 
God  wussohsumoonk 
Mamahehekesuk  wumahtuhkon 
Wutanakausnonk." 
*  The  Witness  0/ the  Psalms  to  Christ  and  Christianity,  by  William  Alexander, 
D.  D.,  D.  C.  L.,  Bishop  ofDerry,  /S76. 


XX  vi  INTRODUCTION. 


Version.     No  one  would  wish  to  deny  the  important  part  it  has 
played  in  the  religious  life  of  the  Scotch  people. 

And  then  we  know  that  the  melodious  prose  of  the  Psalter,  pro- 
duced about  the  same  time  as  the  bald  rhymes  of  Sternhold  and 
Hopkins'  Version,  was  no  match  for  them  in  the  race  for  popular 
favor,  indicating  the  people's  preference  for  measured  verse  con- 
joined with  rhyme,  suitable  for  singing.  It  is  asserted,  that  to  so 
great  an  extent  were  the  Reformers,  singers,  that  '  psalm  singer'  and 
'heretic'  became  synonymous  terms.  The  term,  Lollard,  by  some 
is  derived  from  lollen  to  sing  softly,  whence  it  may  be  inferred,  that 
the  earlier  reformers  rested  under  the  same  reproach  as  the  later. 
It  is  not  wise  certainly  to  despise  an  instrument  of  such  power. 
Admitting  that  Hymn-making  has  been  overdone,  and  that  the 
Psalms  have  been  too  much  neglected  of  late  years,*  and  that  a 
return  to  them  is  desirable,  the  question  arises  how  can  this  be  best 

*Dr.  Binnie,  in  the  last  edition  of  his  work:  "The  Psalms:  Their  History, 
Teachings  and  Use,"  London,  1886,  cites  various  honored  names,  representative 
of  different  branches  of  the  Church,  in  favor  of  a  return  to  the  church  use  of  the 
Psalms,  now  so  generally  displaced  by  Hymns.  Right  Hon.  William  E.  Glad- 
stone says:  "  In  the  Book  of  Psalms,  for  well  nigh  three  thousand  years,  the  piety 
of  saints  have  found  its  most  refined  and  choice  food.  .  .  .  There  is  the 
whole  music  of  the  heart  when  touched  by  the  hand  of  the  Maker,  in  all  its  tones 
that  whisper  or  that  swell,  for  every  hope  and  fear,  for  every  joy  and  pang,  for 
every  form  of  strength  and  languor,  of  disquietude  and  rest.  .  .  .  It  is  a 
particular  and  privileged  Book."  The  late  Isaac  Taylor,  in  his  book  "  The  Spirit 
of  the  Hebrew  Poetry,'''  1861,  expresses  himself  with  great  decision:  "It  is  but 
feebly,  and  as  afar  off,  that  the  ancient  liturgies  (except  so  far  as  they  are  mere 
copies  of  the  original)  come  up  to  the  majesty  and  the  wide  compass  of  the 
Hebrew  Worship  such  as  is  indicated  in  the  148th  Psalm.  ...  It  would  not 
be  possible— it  has  never  yet  seemed  so— to  Christianize  the  Hebrew  anthems- 
retaining  their  power,  their  earth-like  riches,  and  their  manifold  splendors.  .  . 
What  are  modern  hymns  but  so  many  laborious  attempts  to  put  in  a  new  form 
that  which,  as  it  was  done  in  the  very  best  manner  so  many  years  ago,  can  never 
be  done  well  again."  Edward  Irving,  in  his  "Essay  on  the  Book  of  Psalms,"  says: 
"  There  has  grown  up  in  these  lean  years  a  miserable  notion  that  the  Psalms  are 
not  so  appropriate  for  expressing  the  communion  of  the  Christian  Church,  for  the 
reason  that  they  contain  allusions  to  places  and  events  which  are  of  Jewish  and 
not  of  Christian  associations.  Why  do  they  not,  upon  the  same  principle,  weed 
out  the  Jewish  allusions  of  the  Four  Gospels  and  the  Epistles  ?  But  it  as  poor  in 
taste,  as  it  is  wrong  in  feeling,  and  bold  in  execution." 


INTRODUCTION.  xxvii 


brought  about.  Care  needs  to  be  taken  not  to  defer  too  much  to  the 
preferences,  not  to  say  prejudices  of  a  class — scholars,  for  example. 
Because  what  is  pleasing  to  them  may  be  '  caviare  to  the  general ': 
and  inasmuch  as  it  is  the  great  public  whose  tastes  and  inclinations 
are  to  decide  in  the  matter,  it  is  important  to  ascertain  if  possible 
what  those  are.  A  rhymed  version  in  various  metres,  and  set  to 
proper  tunes,  all  ideally  perfect,  would  be  likely  to  meet  the  exigency; 
but,  alas!  perfection  is  so  rare  and  so  difficult.  The  Psalms  chanted 
do  not  seem  well  adapted  for  general  use.  It  may  be  very  delight- 
ful for  me  to  sit  and  hear 

"  The  pealing  organ  blow- 
To  the  full  voiced  quire  below. 
In  service  high  and  anthems  clear, 
As  may  with  sweetness  through  my  ear 
Dissolve  me  into  ecstacies, 
And  bring  all  heaven  before  my  eyes,'*— 

but  the  trouble  is,  that  all  this  requires  skilled  performers  and  other 
things.  For  congregational  sinking,  it  is  doubtful  whether  anything 
will  take  the  place  of  the  Hymn,  or  metric  Psalm.  To  make  this 
more  sweet  and  tunable  should  be  the  object  of  every  new  rendering. 
The  writer  is  well  aware  of  the  imperfections  of  his  work.  He  knows 
as  well  as  anyone  can  tell  him  how  far  he  falls  below  the  ideal  of 
what  a  version  ought  to  be.  His  aim  has  been  to  be  literal,  but 
not  so  literal  as  to  convert  rich  probe  into  poor  verse;  to  be  a  faithful 
but  not  too  punctual  an  interpreter;  to  get  as  close  to  the  Hebrew 
Original  as  possible,  and  preserve,  as  far  as  the  two  idioms  would 
allow,  the  precise  form  and  color  of  the  Hebrew  thought;  to  transfer, 
wherever  he  could,  the  exact  phraseology,  hallowed  and  familiar,  of 
the  Received  or  Revised  Version:  and  to  use  no  more  words  than 
sufficed  to  express  the  meaning  of  the  Text.  By  comparison  he  has 
found  that  his  lines  do  not  take  up  more  than  two-thirds  of  the  space 
occupied  by  Sternhold  and  Hopkins'  Version.  The  fidelity  of  the 
Scotch  Version  is  remarkable. 

He  would  be  glad  to  think  he  has  equalled  it  in  that  respect.  Some- 
thing is  due  to  ease  and  fluency,  but  he  would  not  be  thought  guilty 
of  supposing  that  he  could  improve  on  the  Inspired  Original.     The 


xxviii  IXTRODUCTIOX 


pedestrian  Muse  that  is  plain  and  simple,  and  is  content  to  walk 
humbly  with  the  Text,  and  does  not  try  to  soar  above  it  —  to  be 
louder  than  the  thunder,  or  sublimer  than  the  storm  —  can  claim  a 
merit  of  her  own,  and  ought  not  to  be  despised  on  account  of  her 
rustic  qualities.  Every  good  Version  has  an  exegetical  value,  and 
may  be  the  most  useful  of  commentaries.  A  word  to  the  critics. 
They  are  doubtless  aware  that  there  are  disputed  readings  which 
divide  learned  Hebraists,  and  that,  in  comparing  the  Version  with 
the  Text,  it  is  but  fair  that  this  fact  should  be  kept  in  mind. 

"  Great  Almighty,  King  of  Heaven! 
And  one  God,  in  persons  three; 
Honor,  praise  and  thanks  be  given, 

Now  and  evermore  to  Thee: 
Who  hast  more  for  Thine  prepared, 
Than  by  words  can  be  declared. 

"  Therefore  as  Thy  blessdd  Psalmist, 

When  his  warfares  had  an  end, 
And  his  days  were  at  the  calmest, 

Psalms  and  Hymns  of  praises  penned  — 
So  my  rest  from  Thee  enjoyed, 
To  Thy  praise  I  have  employed 

"  And  with  Israel's  royal  singer, 

Teach  me  so  Faith's  Hymns  to  sing; 
So  Thy  ten-stringed  Law  to  finger, 

And  such  music  thence  to  bring, 
That  by  grace  I  may  aspire 
To  Thy  blessed  angel  choir.-' 


1XTR0DUCTI0X.  XXlX 


III.— NOTES  — CRITICAL,    HISTORICAL,    AND 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 

The  inspired  Lyrics  which  go  to  make  up  the  Hebrew  Anthology, 
called  the  Book  of  Psalms,  are  the  product  of  different  ages.  They 
extend  over  a  period,  it  is  estimated,  of  five  hundred  years.  The 
whole  consist  of  Five  distinct  Collections,  made  at  different  times,  in 
the  order  in  which  they  now  stand.  Each  is  closed  by  a  Dcxology. 
Hence  comes  the  division  into  Five  Books.  Of  the  First  Collection 
made  (Pss.  2-41)  all  but  three  are  expressly  noted  as  David's,  and 
these  may  have  been  his  also.  Of  the  Second  (Pss.  42-72)  seven  are 
by  the  sons  of  Korah,  a  Levitical  family  of  singers;  1  by  Asaph;  19 
by  David;  3  writer  unnamed;  1  by  Solomon.  Of  the  Third  (Pss. 
73-89)  eleven  are  by  Asaph;  4  by  the  sons  of  Korah;  1  by  Ethan. 
Only  the  Eighty-sixth  is  ascribed  to  David.  Of  the  Fourth  (Pss. 
90-106)  the  Ninetieth  is  by  Moses,  and  the  101st  and  103rd  are  by 
David.  Of  the  Fifth  (Pss.  107-150)  fifteen  are  by  David;  1  by  Solo- 
mon; 28  writer  not  given.  The  Pilgrim  Songs  were  fifteen  in 
number  (Pss.  120-134).  The  exact  time  when  these  Collections  were 
made  is  not  known.  All  the  Psalms  with  only  thirty-three  excep- 
tions have  Titles  or  Inscriptioiis  prefixed  indicating  the  writer;  or  the 
one  to  whom  it  was  committed  for  Temple  use;  or  its  character,  as  a 
psalm,  a  song,  a  prayer,  etc.;  or  the  occasion  on  which  it  was  com- 
posed; or  the  tune  or  melody  to  which  it  was  sung;  or  the  accompa- 
nying instrument. 

The  Psalms  have  been  divided  into  four  historical  periods.  1. 
Those  written  before  David's  accession  to  the  throne.  2.  Those 
during  his  reign.  3.  Those  subsequent,  down  to  the  Captivity.  4. 
During  the  Captivity,  and  after  the  Return.  The  moral  results  of 
David's  influence  as  an  inspired  teacher  of  religious  truth  are  aptly 
set  forth  in  the  following  lines: 

"  It  softened  men  of  iron  mould; 
It  #ave  them  virtues  not  their  own. 
No  ear  so  dull,  no  heart  so  col.], 
That  felt  not,  fired  not  to  the  tone, 
Till  David's  lyre  grew  mightier  than  his  throne." 


XX  X  IN  TR  OD  uc  rid  A " 


Herder  claims,  that  every  Psalm  has  an  historical  back-ground;  and 
Goethe  says,  all  good  poems  are  called  forth  by  an  occasion.  The 
Rev  Dr.  Maclaren  of  Manchester,  England,  in  an  interesting  little 
volume  entitled,"  llie  Life  of  David  as  Reflected  in  his  Psalms*' 
makes  eloquent  use  of  this  principle.  He  divides  his  life  into 
epochs:  *'  His  early  years  up  to  his  escape  from  the  court  of  Saul; 
his  exile;  the  prosperous  beginning  of  his  reign;  his  sin  and  peni- 
tence; his  flight  before  Absalom's  rebellion,  and  the  darkened  end." 
He  seeks  to  find  out  the  Psalms  belonging  to  each  of  these  periods, 
and  arranges  them  accordingly.  He  shows  how  aptly  the  historic 
dovetails  with  the  experimental,  and  how  the  two  serve  to  mutually 
illustrate  and  explain  each  other. 

The  shepherd  boy  became  a  king.  His  life  therefore  takes  in  a 
vast  sweep  —  filled  with  strange  and  exciting  events.  But  to  know 
only  these  outward  details  is  to  know  only  half.  Fortunately  in  his 
Psalms  we  have  the  other  half.  There  was  no  feeling  of  his  heart, 
no  secret  of  his  breast,  he  did  not  confide  to  his  lyre.  He  was 
placed  in  many  trying  situations,  and  experienced  many  signal 
deliverances,  and  it  was  his  wont,  to  punctuate  each  with  a  song. 
In  laying  his  heart  bare  before  God,  he  bared  it  to  all  the  world. 
All  is  genuinely  human.  The  utterances  are  self-evidently  sincere. 
They  are  true  to  life,  and,  being  so,  are  representative  and  pro- 
phetic, and  have  "  germinant  fulfilments." 

David  was  a  prophet,  and  spoke  by  Divine  inspiration.  He  says 
of  himself:  "  The  Lord  spoke  by  me,  and  His  word  was  in  my 
tongue"  (2  Sam.  23:  2).  It  is  well  for  us  that  the  prophet  was 
also  a  man,  even  such  a  man,  clothed  with  our  weakness,  sharing 
our  infirmities,  tempted  as  we  are  even  to  falling  into  sin.  It  is  evi- 
dently a  mistake  to  conceive  of  him  as  dwelling  always  in  the  light 
of  a  superior  knowledge,  speaking  at  all  times  with  an  infallible 
utterance  qualified  by  no  ignorance  —  for,  outside  of  a  special  illumi- 
nation for  a  special  purpose,  we  have  every  reason  to  believe  that 
he  was  left  as  much  in  the  dark  as  we  are.  If  the  Bible  had  been 
written  by  angelic  pen,  it  is  doubtful  whether  it  would  have  been  of 
much  use  to  us. 

While  an  extended  commentary  would  be  out  of  place,  a  few  brief 


IXTRODUCTIOX.  Xxxi 


Notes,  chiefly  explanatory,  it  is  hoped  may  be  useful.  More- 
over, in  view  of  the  important  part  which  the  Psalms  have  played  in 
History  and  the  Lives  of  men,  a  collection  of  the  scattered  facts, 
illustrative  of  the  truth  of  this,  is  adapted  to  form  a  chapter  of 
much  interest. 

Ruskin  says,  The  Psalter  contains  in  the  first  half  of  it,  the  sum  of 
personal  and  social  wisdom.  The  ist,  8th,  14th,  19th,  23rd  and  24th 
Psalms,  well  learned  and  believed,  are  enough  for  all  personal  guid- 
ance; the  48th,  72nd,  and  75th  have  in  them  the  law  and  the  proph- 
ecy of  all  righteous  government;  and  every  real  triumph  of  natural 
science  is  anticipated  in  the  104th. 


Psalm  I.  —  It  could  not  have  been  by  accident,  that  this  Psalm  was 
placed  first  in  the  Collection,  for  it  is  evidently  prefatory  and  exor- 
dial. It  sums  the  whole.  The  doctrine  it  emphasizes  is  the  doctrine 
of  the  whole.  The  very  first  word  stirs  the  heart  like  a  trumpet.  It 
is  the  swift  glad  answer  to  the  question  of  questions,  which  every- 
body is  asking:  Who  is  happy?  Where  is  happiness  to  be  found? 
The  Porch  undertook  to  locate  and  define  it,  but  failed.  It  was  and 
is,  Philosophy's  despair.  Poetry  apostrophizes  to  no  purpose,  "  O 
Happiness,  our  being's  end  and  aim."  Riches  says,  It  is  not  in  me. 
Honor  says,  It  is  not  in  me.  Learning  says,  It  is  not  in  me.  Pleas- 
ure says,  It  is  not  in  me.  Where  is  it  then  ?  Where,  O  where  ? 
Echo  answers,  Where?  Some  call  the  proud,  happy.  Are  they  so? 
No!  Vanity  of  vanities,  saith  the  Preacher.  Here  the  true  word 
breaks  in  like  a  burst  of  sunshine.  Inquire  no  farther.  The  Happy 
Man  is  the  Righteous  Man;  and  no  other.  Should  you  wish  an 
answer  more  in  detail,  the  introductory  verses  of  ..the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount,  will  give  it  you.  Righteousness  is  the  soul's  health.  Car- 
lyle  says  truly:  "  A  healthy  body  is  good;  but  a  soul  in  right  health 
—  it  is  the  thing  ahove  all  others  to  be  prayed  for;  the  blessedest 
thing  this  earth  receives  of  Heaven."  Never  was  there  a  Preface  so 
brief  that  contained  so  much  as  this  First  Psalm. 


xxxii  IW  TR  OD  UC  TION. 


Psalm  II — Stands  at  the  head  of  the  objective  Messianic  Psalms 
to  which  the  Forty-fifth  and  the  One  Hundred  and  Tenth  also  belong, 
Four  speakers  are  introduced,  indicating  its  dramatic  character,  i. 
The  rebels;  2.  Jehovah;  3.  The  Anointed;  4.  The  Psalmist.  For  its 
Messianic  application,  see  Acts  4:  24-30. 

Psalm  IIP — The  historic  occasion  was  David's  flight  before  his 
son  Absalom  (2  Sam.  15  :  14,  17,  30). 

Ver.  3.  My  glory  and  the  lifter  tip  of  my  head.  One  might  almost 
think  that  Horace  had  borrowed  from  David,  when  he  compliments 
Macenas  as  "  his  patron  and  sweet  glory  "  —  0  et  prcesiditim  et  dulce 
decns  meum. 


"  The  French  Protestants  in  the  time  of  their  persecution  had 
psalms  adapted  to  their  varied  circumstances.  The  Third  Psalm  was 
for  the  stationing  of  sentinels  to  keep  watch  against  sudden  attack; 
when  the  danger  was  over,  and  they  could  worship  in  safety,  they 
sung  the  122nd." — Rev.  John  Ker,  D.  D. 

Psalm  IV. — Relates  to  Absalom's  revolt.  By  "  the  sons  of  men  ' 
[  man  ]  would  be  meant  the  leaders  of  the  conspiracy  against 
David's  kingly  right,  or  "  glory,"  who  had  been  especially  "  set 
apart"  by  God  as  His  "  favored  "  or  "  beloved*  one,"  (for  so 
the  term  "godly"  may  be  rendered).  They  are  counselled  "to 
stand  in  awe  and  sin  (rebel)  no  more;"  and  revolving  silently  and 
alone  their  guilt  and  folly,  repent  and  return  to  their  allegiance. 
The  desponding  inquiry,  "  Who  will  show  us  good?"  indicates  the 
gloominess  of  the  outlook,  but  the  Psalmist  was  buoyed  up  with  a 
pious  confidence  which  filled  him  with  joy  and  peace. 


It  was  a  rule  in  the  Syrian  Churches,  that  no  person  could  be  or- 
dained sub-deacon  until  he  had  learned  the  Psalter  by  heart.  Jerome 
mentions,  that  he  had  learned  the  Psalms  when  he  was  a  child,  and 
sang  them  constantly  in  old  age.     In  the  first  centuries  of  the  Chris- 

*  Maclarcn  thinks,  "  It  was  prophetic  instinct  which  made  Jesse  call  his 
youngest  son  by  a  name,  apparently  before  unused  —  David,  (Beloved)  ". 


INTRODUCTION.  xxxiii 


tian  Church,  the  Psalms  were  in  general  use.  Augnstinex  born  in 
354,  was  converted  when  he  was  in  his  33d  year,  under  the  preaching 
of  Ambrose,  Bishop  of  Milan.  In  his  "Confessions"  referring  to 
this  period,  he  exclaims,  "O,  in  what  accents  spake  I  unto  Thee,  my 
God,  when  I  read  the  Psalms  of  David."  He  makes  mention  of  the 
Fourth  Psalm  in  particular.  The  subject  of  his  "  Enarrations,"  (a 
kind  of  running  commentary)  was  the  Psalm-.  His  custom  was  to 
embrace  an  entire  Psalm  in  one  discourse.  He  was  ignorant  of 
Hebrew,  and  allegorized  too  much,  but  his  "  Enarrations"  were  read 
and  prized  for  a  thousand  year--. 

Psalm  V. — Joab,  prompted  by  jealousy,  assassinated  Abner 
(2  Sam.  3:  27),  and  subsequently  his  rival,  Amasa,  (2  Sam.  20:  10). 
David  complains  that  although  King,  "  the  sons  of  Zeruiah  are  too 
hard  for  me."  Joab  is  the  probabie  subject  of  the  bitter  reference 
in  verse  5,  where  he  is  called  "the  bloody  and  deceitful  man" — and 
other  parts  of  the  Psalm  would  seem  to  apply  to  him. 

Psalm  VI,  Verse  3 — "But  Thou,  O  Lord,  how  long?"  In  its 
Latin  form,  Do/nine,  quousque?  it  is  said  to  have  been  the  favorite 
ejaculation  of  Ca!vin  in  times  of  suffering,  and  especially  of  painful 
sickness.  This  is  the  first  of  the  so-called  PENITENTIAL  Psalms. 
The  other  six  are  the  32d,  38th,  51st,  io2d,  130th,  and  143d. 

Dr.  Philip  Schaff,  in  his  "  History  of  the  Christian  Church"  (Vol. 
Ill,  p,  905)  says  of  St.  Augustine;  "  The  last  ten  days  of  his  life  he 
spent  in  close  retirement — in  prayers  and  tears,  and  repeated  readings 
of  the  Penitential  Psalms,  which  he  had  caused  to  be  written  on  the 
wall  over  his  bed,  so  that  he  might  have  them  always  before  his  eyes. 
He  closed  his  life  25th  August,  430,  in  the  76th  year  of  his  age  in  the 
full  possession  of  his  faculties." 

Strangely  enough,  Catherine  de  Medici,  the  queen  mother  of 
Charles  IX,  the  prompter,  and  real  author  of  the  Massacre  of  St. 
Bartholomew,  which  numbered  fifty  thousand  victims— chose  this 
Psalm  to  give  expression  to  her  worldly  disappointment. 

The  Wife  of  Thomas  Carlyle,  sick  in  body  and  mind,  gives  vent  to 
her   feelings  in  language  drawn   from  this  Psalm,  entering  in  her 


Xxxiv  IXTRODUCTION 


Journal,  1855,  verses  2-4:  "Ah,  me!  'Have  mercy  upon  me,  0 
Lord,  heal  me,  for  my  bones  are  sore  vexed,  my  soul  is  also  sore 
vexed:  but  Thou,  O  Lord,  how  long?'  ''  In  the  sketch  of  his  wife's 
history,  written  three  years  after  his  wife's  death,  Carlyle  relates, 
how,  about  the  above-named  time  (1855  or  1856),  "  The  sufferings  of 
our  poor  little  woman,  which  must  have  been  great,  though  she 
whispered  nothing  of  them,  reached  their  nadir — internal  sufferings 
and  dispiritments.  To  whatever  owing,  my  little  darling  was  ex- 
tremely miserable!  Of  that  year  there  is  a  bit  of  private  diary  by 
chance  left  unburnt,  and  not  to  be  destroyed,  however  tragical  and 
sternly  sad  are  parts  of  it."    See  Carlyle  s  Reminiscences,  by  Fronde. 

Psalm  IX. — Furnishes  an  example  of  what  may  be  called  topical 
parallelism,  after  the  Hebrew  manner.  There  is  a  division  of  the 
Psalm  into  two  parts,  with  an  orderly  repetition  of  topics  in  the  second 
part.  The  whole  Psalm  is  a  review  of  God's  gracious  dealings  in 
driving  back  the  invading  heathen  A  grateful  acknowledgment  of 
former  deliverances  (vs.  1-6)  is  followed  by  expressions  of  trust  in 
regard  to  the  future  (vs.  7-12)  with  consequent  petitions  (vs.  13,  14): 
then  there  is  a  return  to  the  same  topics,  the  same  recollections  of 
the  past,  anticipations  of  the  future,  and  prayers  for  present  and 
immediate  help. 

Five  scholars  of  Lausanne  devoted  to  the  Reformation  were 
arrested  in  France,  1553,  and  burned  in  the  Place  des  Terreaux  at 
Lyons.  On  their  way  to  execution  they  sung  with  a  loud  voice  this 
Psalm. — Ker, 

Psalm  X. — The  character  here  drawn  answers  in  so  many  respects 
to  Joab  that  it  is  difficult  not  to  believe  that  David  had  him  in  his 
eye  as  a  typical  case  of  audacious  wickedness. 

Psalm  XI. — Is  somewhat  dramatic  in  form  like  Psalm  2d.  The 
advice  of  faint-hearted  friends  to  fly  (vs.  1-6)  is  followed  by  a  pas- 
sionate rejection  of  the  counsel  as  a  wicked  distrust  of  God. 

Psalm  XII,  Ver.  5.  — "  For  the  oppression  of  the  poor,'"  etc.,  was  the 


INTRODUCTION.  X\xv 


text  of  Dr.  Fabricius  before  Gustavus  Adolphus,  when  he  took  Augs- 
burg after  a  severe  fight.  A  solemn  thanksgiving  was  held  in  the 
principal  church,  and  religious  liberty  was  proclaimed,  while  the 
ferocious  Tilly,  after  his  defeat  retired,  breathing  out  threatening  and 
slaughter. — Ker. 

Psalm  XV. — Professor  Wilson  (Christopher  North)  in  his  "  Lights 
and  Shadows  of  Scottish  Life,"  in  describing  the  affecting  scene  of 
the  Elder's  death-bed,  tells  us,  the  minister  took  the  Family  Bible, 
and  kneeling,  said:  "  Let  us  sing  to  the  praise  and  glory  of  God 
a  part  of  the  Fifteenth  Psalm,  and  he  read  with  a  tremulous  and 
broken  voice  those  beautiful  verses: 

"  Within  thy  tabernacle,  Lord, 
Who  shall  abide  with  thee  ? 
And  in  thy  high  and  holy  hill 
Who  shall  a  dweller  be  ?"  etc. 

PsALM  XVI,  Vers.  2,  3. — "My  goodness  extendeth  not  to  Thee,  but  to 
the  saints."  Later  versions  from  the  Hebrew  differ  from  the  A.  V. 
and  each  other.  That  reading  has  been  adopted  that  seemed  most 
plausible.  Ver.  4,  "Hasten  after"  is  more  exactly  rendered  wedded 
or  united  to  another  God. 


This  Psalm  was  the  last  Scripture  read  by  Hugh  M  y  Kail  the  even- 
ing before  his  execution  in  the  Grassmarket  of  Edinburgh.  He  was 
a  young  man  of  fervid  nature,  with  much  ability  and  culture,  was 
educated  at  the  University  of  Edinburgh  and  in  Holland,  and  was 
licensed  to  preach  at  the  time  of  the  treacherous  overturn  of  the 
Constitution  of  the  Church  of  Scotland,  by  Charles  II,  Middleton  and 
Sharp.  His  last  sermon  was  preached  while  400  Presbyterian  min- 
isters were  being  driven  from  their  churches,  Sept.  8,  1662  He  is 
the  chief  figure  in  a  pen-picture  of  the  Covenanters  by  Sir  Walter 
Scott. — Ker. 

Psalm  XVII,  is  full  of  passionate  appeal,  alternations  of  hope  and 
fear.     Vs.  14,  15  are  worthy  of  the  New  Testament. 


XXX  VI  W  TR  OD  UC  TION. 


Alexander  Hume,  of  Hume,  closed  his  life,  singing  the  last  verse 
(Scotch  version)  of  this  Psalm.  His  death  was  one  of  the  most  cruel 
murders  of  the  time. — Kcr. 

Psalm  XVIII.— For  another  copy  of  this  Psalm  see  2  Sam.  XXII. 
Of  the  two  copies,  this  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  earlier,  and  to 
have  been  composed  by  David  in  his  youth.  Revised  by  him  in  his 
later  days,  he  sent  it  to  the  chief  musician  in  its  slightly  altered  form. 
The  rabbins  reckon  up  seventy-four  differences  between  the  two,  but 
they  are  very  minute.  It  is  admitted  that  there  is  nothing  grander 
in  Poetry  than  this  Psalm.  Grand  in  many  ways,  it  is  grandest  in 
its  motive.  It  is  the  flashing  splendor  of  the  underlying  thought 
which  dazzles  and  amazes.  The  majesty  of  the  scene  does  not  con- 
sist so  much  in  the  material  concomitants,  the  tempestuous  terror 
and  pomp  of  the  descent,  as  in  its  moral  purpose.  Take  this  away, 
and  there  remains,  to  be  sure,  a' magnificent  description  of  a  thunder 
storm,  distinguished  by  bold  metaphor  and  striking  diction,  but  that 
is  all.  To  appreciate  its  unparalleled  sublimity,  we  need  to  raise 
ourselves  to  the  height  of  the  poet's  great  argument,  and  conceive 
the  Deity,  as  the  Supreme  Judge  and  Ruler  of  the  Universe,  coming 
forth  in  person,  and  putting  in  operation  this  unspeakable  machinery 
of  terror,  just  because  Right  had  been  struck  down  in  the  person  of 
his  servant,  and  a  cry  has  risen  to  Him  for  help  and  deliverance. 
What  gave  effect  to  the  cry,  was  not  the  dignity  of  the  suppliant,  for 
God  is  no  respecter  of  persons.  "  The  poor  man  cried,  and  he  also 
was  delivered."  So  dear,  in  fact,  is  Right  to  the  heart  of  God,  so 
essential  is  it  to  the  stability  of  His  throne,  that,  if  it  were  necessary, 
He  would  summon  from  the  farthest  limits  of  His  empire,  the  re- 
quisite powers  for  its  enforcement  and  vindication  in  behalf  of  the 
meanest  of  his  subjects. 

For  He  makes  every  just  cause  His  own.  This  He  does  from  a 
necessity  of  His  being.  Well  it  is  so.  If  a  just  God  is  dreadful,  what  a 
horror  would  be  a  God  not  just !  God  cannot  be  just  without  being 
good;  nor  good  without  being  merciful.  Goodness  comprehends 
both  Justice  and  Mercy.  One  regulates  the  other.  Shakespeare  is 
warranted,  therefore,  in  saying  that  Mercy  is 


rXTRODUCTIOX.  xxxvii 


"  An  attribute  to  God  Himself; 
And  earthly  power  doth  then  show  likes;  God's, 
When  Mercy  seasons  Justice." 

God's  Government  is  paternal.  He  loves,  and  pities,  and  punishes. 
To  the  merciful  He  will  show  Himself  merciful;  to  the  upright  he 
will  show  Himself  upright;  to  the  pure  He  will  show  Himself  pure. 

(Vers.  25,  26) — 

"  So  dear  to  Heaven  is  saintly  Chastity, 
That  when  a  soul  is  found  sincerely  so, 
A  thousand  liveried  angels  lacky  her." 


Love  Virtue  ! — 


She  can  teach  you  how  to  climb 
Higher  than  the  sphery  chime; 
Or  if  Virtue  feeble  were, 
Heaven  itself  would  stoop  to  her." 


The  words,  from  vers.  17-19,  were  sung  upon  the  scaffold  by  four 
sons  of  the  Huguenots.  They  were  the  last  martyrs  of  the  Desert — 
who  suffered  as  late  as  1762,  under  the  reign  of  Louis  XV.  Near  to 
Nismes,  in  a  solitary  spot,  there  is  to  be  seen  the  Cave  where  the 
assemblies  of  the  Desert  were  held.  At  Aignes-Mortes  is  the  Tower 
of  Constance,  which  served  as  a  prison  for  the  Protestant  ladies  who 
refused  conversion  to  Catholicism.  Some  remained  nearly  forty 
years  in  this  sepulchre  without  seeing  or  hearing  from  a  friend. — 
Ker. 

Psalm  XIX. — There  are  two  voices — one  inaudible — declaring  the 
glory  of  God,  the  other  audible,  declaring  His  will.  It  forms  a  fit 
companion  piece  to  Psalm  VIII.  We  have  thus  a  day-piece,  and  a 
night-piece  by  the  same  hand.  The  pastoral  life  is  favorable  to  med- 
itation. Spent  in  the  open  air,  all  natural  sights  and  sounds  grow 
familiar.  David  in  both  Psalms  recalls  the  peaceful  time,  when,  a 
shepherd  lad,  already  skilled  in  the  use  of  his  rustic  lyre,  and 
accustomed  to  give  vent  to  his  pious  rapture  in  holy  song,  he  lay  on 
summer  nights  on  the  pleasant  hill-sides  of  Bethlehem  watching  his 
flock  and,  looking  up,  saw  "the  heavens  sowed  with  stars,  thick  as 


XXXVlii  INTRODUCTION 


a  field;"  and  as  the  night  wore  away  saw  the  grey  dawn,  and  the 
kindling  fires  of  day-break,  till,  all  at  once,  the  sun,  the  regent  of 
day,  shot  suddenly  up  from  behind  the  mountains  of  Moab — 

"  Jocund  to  sun 
His  longitude  through  heaven's  high  road." 

Psalm  XX. — Is  an  expression  of  loyal  attachment  to  David,  the 
sovereign,  by  the  army.  Dr.  Maclaren  thinks  it  may  have  been 
connected  with  David's  organization  of  "  the  service  of  song."  He 
imagines  the  army  drawn  up  for  action,  that  prays  for  the  king;  who, 
according  to  custom,  brings  sacrifices  ana  offerings  before  the  fight. 
Then,  as  they  wave  their  banners,  they  send  up  the  shout,  "  In  the 
name  of  our  God  we  will  set  up  our  banners  !"  Then  the  king  speaks, 
rejoicing  in  his  soldiers'  devotion,  and  accepts  it  as  an  omen  that  his 
sacrifice  has  not  been  in  vain.  "  Now  I  know  Jehovah  saveth  His 
anointed."  Then  the  chorus  of  the  host  exclaims,  as  they  look  across 
the  field  to  the  chariots  and  cavalry  of  the  foe  (forces  which  Israel 
seldom  used),  "Some  trust  in  chariots  and  some  in  horses,  but  we 
will  remember  the  name  of  the  Lord  our  God."  Ere  a  sword  is 
drawn,  they  see  the  enemy  scattered.  "  They  are  brought  down  and 
fallen,  but  we  stand  upright."  Then  with  the  prayer,  "Jehovah, 
save!  let  the  king  hear  us  when  we  call,"  they  dash  forth  to  victory. 

Psalm  XXI — This  Psalm,  it  is  said,  was  sung  as  a  Coronation 
Ode  throughout  England  by  the  overtrustful  Presbyterians  at  the 
restoration  of  Charles  II. 

Psalm  XXII. — This  is  by  David  but  surely  not  of  David.  It  only 
then  becomes  intelligible,  when  it  is  accepted  as  a  prophecy  of  a  suf- 
fering Messiah.  It  is  not  inaptly  called  by  Spurgeon,  rThe  Psalm  of 
the  Cross. 

Psalm  XXIII. — The  tranquilizing  effect  of  this  sweetest  of  all 
Pastorals,  compared  with  which  all  others  that  were  ever  written  are 
puerile  and  poor,  is  felt  by  every  reader.  It  deserves  to  be  set  to 
some  heavenly  tune  by  some  angelic  composer,  for  no 


INTRODUCTION.  xxxix 


"  Inferior  hand  or  voice  could  hit 
Inimitable  sounds." 

For  want  of  this  let  it  be  sung  only  to  ideal  music — 

"  Heard  melodies  are  sweet,  but  those  unheard 
Are  sweeter;  therefore,  ye  soft  pipes,  play  on, 
Not  to  the  sensual  ear,  but,  more  endeared, 
Pipe  to  the  spirit  ditties  of  no  tone." 


Sir  Charles  Bell  arrived  at  the  seat  of  Mr.  Holland,  Hallow  Park, 
on  the  27th  of  May,  1S42.  He  was  apparently  in  good  health,  but 
suffered  from  heart-disease  (Angina  pectoris).  One  or  two  recent 
attacks  of  'anguish  of  the  chest"  had  made  him  more  than  usually 
awake  to  the  associations  which  the  quiet  churchyard  might  naturally 
prompt.  He  spent  some  pleasant  hours  in  sketching  the  beauties  of 
the  scenery.  "This  is  a  sweet  spot."  he  said,  "  here  I  should  like 
to  rest  till  they  come  to  take  me  away."  During  the  evening  he  de- 
scanted upon  that  masterpiece  of  art,  ihe  "  Last  Supper,"  of  Leonardo 
da  Vinci,  an  engraving  of  which  lay  before  him,  and  repeated  the 
passage  from  the  Gospel.  After  retiring,  as  was  his  wont,  selections 
from  the  Scriptures  and  the  Prayer  Book  were  read  to  him,  and  he 
chose  the  Twenty-third  Psalm.  After  a  few  hours  of  sleep  he  awoke 
with  a  frightful  spasm,  asked  to  be  supported,  and  immediately 
expired. — Quarterly  Review. 

When  Edward  Irving  was  on  his  death-bed  he  repeated  the  23d 
Psalm  in  Hebrew.  Ver.  4,  Thy  rod  and  Thy  staff  they  comfort  me, 
were  the  dying  words  of  the  great  Scottish  philosopher.  Sir  William 
Hamilton.  When  Dr.  Alexander  Dnff,  the  Indian  Missionary,  lav- 
dying,  and  apparently  unconscious  (Feb.,  1S7S)  his  daughter  repeated 
to  him  the  Twenty-third  Psalm,  and  he  responded  at  the  end  of  each 
verse. 

lleinrich  Heine,  who  had  been  a  pantheist  and  scoffer,  was  laid 
for  years  on  what  he  called  his  mattress  sepulchre,  and  took  to  reading 
the  Bible,  especially  the  Psalms.     One  of  the  very  last  of  his  poems 


xl  IN  TR  OD  UC  TION. 


addressed  to  his  wife,  bears  traces  of   this  Twenty-third  Psalm.     It 
begins  thus — 

"  My  arm  grows  weak:  Death  comes  apace, 
Death  pale  and  grim:  and  I  no  more 
Can  guard  my  lamb  as  heretofore. 
O  God!  unto  Thy  hands  I  render 
My  crook;  keep  my  lambkins  tender, 
When  I  in  peace  have  laid  me  down 
Keep  Thou  my  lamb,  and  do  not  let 
A  single  thorn  her  bosom  fret. 
And  guide  where  pastures  green  and  sweet 
Refresh  the  wanderer's  weary  feet."— Ker. 

Psalm  XXIV  is  divided  into  two  portions:  the  first  half  replies  to  the 
question,  ;<  Who  shall  ascend  the  Hill  of  the  Lord,  and  who  shall  stand 
in  His  Holy  Place?"  The  second  half  deals  with  the  inquiry,  "  Who 
is  the  King  of  Glory?"  It  is  regarded  as  a  Processional  Hymn,  of 
choral  structure.  The  first  half  was  to  be  sung  during  the  ascent  to 
City  of  David,  the  second  while  standing  before  the  Gates,  responsive 
singing  attending  the  march,  the  Levites  bearing  the  Ark,  and  the 
multitude  streaming  after. 


Philip  Melancthon,  when  dying,  caused  to  be  read  the  Twenty- 
fourth,  Twenty-fifth  and  Twenty-sixth  Psalms,  the  53d  of  Isaiah,  7th 
of  John  and  5th  Romans.  *  *  Upon  being  asked  by  his  son-in-law 
if  he  would  have  anything  else,  he  replied:  "  Aliud  nihil — nisi 
Ccelum  !" — Nothing  else — but  Heaven  !  At  a  quarter  of  an  hour  before 
seven  o'clock,  9th  April,  1560,  at  the  age  of  63,  he  gently  breathed 
his  last. — Dr.  F.  A.  Cox's  Life  of  Philip  Melancthon. 

We  learn  from  Ranke's  "  History  of  the  Popes,"  that  during  the 
later  sittings  of  the  Council  of  Trent,  in  1562,  the  subject  of  congre- 
gational psalmody,  and  the  administration  of  the  sacraments  in  the 
mother-tongue  was  brought  up  by  the  representatives  of  the  Emperor 
Charles  V,  and  the  King  of  France.  The  proposition,  urged  by  the 
Cardinal  of  Lorraine  and  the  French  Prelates,  "that  the  Psalms  may  be 
allowed  to  be  sung  in  the  French  language  in  full  congregation,"  was 
rejected.  The  inhibition  continued  until  the  Edict  of  Nantes,  1598, 
authorizing  Protestant  worship  at  Paris  and  elsewhere.     In  that  year 


INTRODUCTION.  xli 


Catherine  of  Navarre,  assembled  a  large  company  in  the  Palace  of 
the  Louvre,  on  which  occasion  the  Psalm  first  sung  was  the  Twenty- 
Fourth  Psalm. 

Psalm  XXVI.  — Louis  XIV,  the  dupe  of  a  cruel  and  mistaken 
policy,  where  the  blunder  was  as  conspicuous  as  the  crime,  had 
through  long  years  harried  and  oppressed  his  Huguenot  subjects. 
Then  came  the  infamy  of  the  dragonades.  The  cavalry  (dragoons) 
took  possession  of  the  southern  provinces,  and  established  their 
quarters  in  the  dwellings  of  the  Huguenots.  These  booted  mission- 
aries devoured  their  substance,  but  made  few  converts.  At  last  came 
the  Revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes,  Oct.  22,  1685.  The  religious 
worship  of  the  Calvinists  was  now  forbidden;  their  churches  were 
torn  down;  their  schools  closed;  and  their  preachers  banished  from 
the  land.  When  the  emigration  of  the  people  increased  to  a  for- 
midable degree,  this  was  forbidden  under  punishment  of  the  galleys 
and  the  forfeiture  of  goods.  But  despite  all  threats  and  prohibitions, 
upwards  of  500,000  French  Calvinists  carried  their  industry,  their 
faith  and  their  courage  lo  Protestant  lands.  Pineton,  of  Chambrun, 
one  of  these  exiles,  relates,  that  when  he  and  his  companions  came 
in  sight  of  Geneva,  they  sang  with  tears  of  joy  the  Twenty-sixth 
Psalm,  from  the  eighth  verse  to  the  close. 

Psalm  XXIX. — We  have  here  another  marvelous  description  of  a 
thunderstorm.  Having  its  starting  point  somewhere  on  the  Medi- 
terranean, it  sweeps  with  irresistible  force,  whirling  and  smiting, 
over  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  Land,  from  Lebanon  and  Sirion 
(Herman)  on  the  north,  to  the  wilderness  of  Kadish  (Petra)  on  the 
south.  Poetry  can  no  further  go.  But,  like  the  Eighteenth  Psalm, 
it  owes  its  awful  and  unequalled  sublimity  less  to  the  storm  than  to 
God.  who  is  present  in  the  storm.  We  forget  the  storm,  and  think 
only  of  Him.  It  is  God  we  see  and  hear.  Great  masses  of  cloud, 
black  as  night,  charged  with  tempestuous  winds,  lightning  and  rain  — 
are  seen  coming  up  from  tne  sea,  now  agitated  to  its  lowest  depths, 
and  rolling  great  waves  towards  the  shore.  The  crash  of  thunder, 
peal  after  peal,  is  heard.     It  is  God  speaking.     "The  voice  of   the 


xl  INTRODUCTION. 


addressed  to  his  wife,  bears  traces  of   this  Twenty-third  Psalm.     It 
begins  thus — 

"  My  arm  grows  weak:  Death  comes  apace, 
Death  pale  and  grim:  and  I  no  more 
Can  guard  my  lamb  as  heretofore. 
O  God!  unto  Thy  hands  I  render 
My  crook;  keep  my  lambkins  tender, 
When  I  in  peace  have  laid  me  down 
Keep  Thou  my  lamb,  and  do  not  let 
A  single  thorn  her  bosom  fret. 
And  guide  where  pastures  green  and  sweet 
Refresh  the  wanderer's  weary  feet."— Ker. 

Psalm  XXIV  is  divided  into  two  portions:  the  first  half  replies  to  the 
question,  ; '  Who  shall  ascend  the  Hill  of  the  lord,  and  iuho  shall  stand 
in  His  Holy  Place?"  The  second  half  deals  with  the  inquiry,  "  Who 
is  the  King  of  Glory?"  It  is  regarded  as  a  Processional  Hymn,  of 
choral  structure.  The  first  half  was  to  be  sung  during  the  ascent  to 
City  of  David,  the  second  while  standing  before  the  Gates,  responsive 
singing  attending  the  march,  the  Levites  bearing  the  Ark,  and  the 
multitude  streaming  after. 


Philip  Melancthon,  when  dying,  caused  to  be  read  the  Twenty- 
fourth,  Twenty-fifth  and  Twenty-sixth  Psalms,  the  53d  of  Isaiah,  7th 
of  John  and  5th  Romans.  *  *  Upon  being  asked  by  his  son-in-law 
if  he  would  have  anything  else,  he  replied:  "  Aliud  nihil — nisi 
Ccelum  !" — Nothing  else — but  Heaven  !  At  a  quarter  of  an  hour  before 
seven  o'clock,  9th  April,  1560,  at  the  age  of  63,  he  gently  breathed 
his  last. — Dr.  F.  A.  Cox's  Life  of  Philip  Melancthon. 

We  learn  from  Ranke's  "  History  of  the  Popes,"  that  during  the 
later  sittings  of  the  Council  of  Trent,  in  1562,  the  subject  of  congre- 
gational psalmody,  and  the  administration  of  the  sacraments  in  the 
mother-tongue  was  brought  up  by  the  representatives  of  the  Emperor 
Charles  V,  and  the  King  of  France.  The  proposition,  urged  by  the 
Cardinal  of  Lorraine  and  the  French  Prelates, '  'that  the  Psalms  may  be 
allowed  to  be  sung  in  the  French  language  in  full  congregation,"  was 
rejected.  The  inhibition  continued  until  the  Edict  of  Nantes,  1598, 
authorizing  Protestant  worship  at  Paris  and  elsewhere.     In  that  year 


IXTRODL'CTIOX.  xli 


Catherine  of  Navarre,  assembled  a  large  company  in  the  Palace  of 
the  Louvre,  on  which  occasion  the  Psalm  first  sung  was  the  Twenty- 
Fourth  Psalm. 

Psalm  XXVI.  —  Louis  XIV,  the  dupe  of  a  cruel  and  mistaken 
policy,  where  the  blunder  was  as  conspicuous  as  the  crime,  had 
through  long  years  harried  and  oppressed  his  Huguenot  subjects. 
Then  came  the  infamy  of  the  dragonades.  The  cavalry  (dragoons) 
took  possession  of  the  southern  provinces,  and  established  their 
quarters  in  the  dwellings  of  the  Huguenots.  These  booted  mission- 
aries devoured  their  substance,  but  made  few  converts.  At  last  came 
the  Revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes,  Oct.  22,  1685.  The  religious 
worship  of  the  Calvinists  was  now  forbidden;  their  churches  were 
torn  down;  their  schools  closed;  and  their  preachers  banished  from 
the  land.  When  the  emigration  of  the  people  increased  to  a  for- 
midable degree,  this  was  forbidden  under  punishment  of  the  galleys 
and  the  forfeiture  of  goods.  But  despite  all  threats  and  prohibitions, 
upwards  of  500,000  French  Calvinists  carried  their  industry,  their 
faith  and  their  courage  to  Protestant  lands.  Pineton,  of  Chambrun, 
one  of  these  exiles,  relates,  that  when  he  and  his  companions  came 
in  sight  of  Geneva,  they  sang  with  tears  of  joy  the  Twenty-sixth 
Psalm,  from  the  eighth  verse  to  the  close. 

Psalm  XXIX. — We  have  here  another  marvelous  description  of  a 
thunderstorm.  Having  its  starting  point  somewhere  on  the  Medi- 
terranean, it  sweeps  with  irresistible  force,  whirling  and  smiting, 
over  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  Land,  from  Lebanon  and  Sirion 
(Herman)  on  the  north,  to  the  wilderness  of  Kadish  (Petra)  on  the 
south.  Poetry  can  no  further  go.  But,  like  the  Eighteenth  Psalm, 
it  owes  its  awful  and  unequalled  sublimity  less  to  the  storm  than  to 
God.  who  is  present  in  the  storm.  We  forget  the  storm,  and  think 
only  of  Him.  It  is  God  we  see  and  hear.  Great  masses  of  cloud, 
black  as  night,  charged  with  tempestuous  winds,  lightning  and  rain  — 
are  seen  coming  up  from  tne  sea,  now  agitated  to  its  lowest  depths, 
and  rolling  great  waves  towards  the  shore.  The  crash  of  thunder, 
peal  after  peal,  is  heard.     It  is  God  speaking.     "The  voice  of   the 


xlii  INTRODUCTION 


Lord  is  on  the  waters";  the  God  of  glory  thundereth;  the  Lord  is  on 
many  waters."  The  air  thickens;  the  blackness  spreads;  the  path  of 
the  cyclone  is  strewed  with  a  thousand  wrecks.  "It  breaks  the 
cedars  of  Lebanon,  yea,  the  Lord  breaketh  the  cedars  of  Lebanon." 
The  mountain  itself  is  made  to  rock — "to  skip  like  a  calf,  Lebanon 
and  Sirion  like  a  young  unicorn."  The  voice  of  the  Lord  forks  the 
lightning — "  divideth  the  flames  of  fire."  Meanwhile,  two  hun- 
dred miles  away  in  the  far  south,  "  The  voice  of  the  Lord  shaketh 
the  wilderness,  the  Lord  shaketh  the  wilderness  of  Kadish;  the  voice 
of  the  Lord  maketh  the  hinds  to  bring  forth  prematurely,  and  strips 
the  forests."  All  at  once  we  hear  countless  voices  out  of  the  clouds 
and  above  them,  shouting  Glory!  Glory!  and  a  fearless  child  lying  in 
a  sheltered  nook,  a  delighted  witness  of  the  spectacle 

"  Of  the  most  terrible  and  nimble  stroke 
Of  quick,  cross-lightning;" 

claps  hands,  and  cries,  bonnie!  bonnie!  and  we  too,  borne  upward 
by  the  ecstacy  of  the  hour,  join  the  "  mighty  ones,"  invoked  in  the 
beginning,  in  ascribing  to  the  Lord  the  glory  due  unto  His  Name — 
unalterably  assured,  that  He  "  who  sat  enthroned  at  the  Flood,  and 
sitteth  King  forever,"  serene  and  calm,  "will  bless  the  people  with 
peace."  Milton  knew  of  this  description — he  could  hardly  have 
hoped  to  rival  it: 

'•  And  either  tropic  now 

'Gan  thunder,  and  both  ends  of  heaven:  the  clouds 

From  many  a  horrid  rift,  abortive  poured 

Fierce  rain  with  lightning  mixed,  water  mixed  with  fire, 

In  ruin  reconciled,  nor  slept  the  winds 

Within  their  stony  caves,  but  rushed  abroad 

From  the  four  hinges  of  the  world,  and  fell 

On  the  vexed  wilderness,  whose  tallest  pines, 

Though  rooted  deep  as  high,  and  sturdiest  oaks 

Bowed  their  stiff  necks,  loaden  with  stormy  blasts, 

Or  torn  up  sheer." 

— Paradise  Regained,  B.  IV.,  I.  joj-4rQ 

Psalm  XXX. — Among  those  who  suffered  in  the  Netherlands  dur- 
ing the  first  governorship  of  the  cruel  Alva  was  John  Hcriuin.     At 


INTRODUCTION.  xhii 


the  place  of  execution  he  sang  the  Thirtieth  Psalm.  He  was  first 
strangled  and  then  burned  to  ashes.  Ver.  5  was  among  the  latest 
sayings  of  Rev.  John  Broivn,  the  commentator. — Ker. 

Psalm  XXXI. — Verse  5,  "Into  Thine  hand  I  commit  my  spirit. 
Thou  hast  redeemed  me,  0  lord  God  of  truth;"  or  as  we  have  it  in  the 
Latin  Vulgate,  In  manus  tuas,  commendo  spiritutn  ?neum:  redimisti 
nos,  Domine,  Deus  veritatis.  These  words  (the  first  part  at  least) 
were  the  last  spoken  by  our  Lord  on  the  Cross.  The  first  martyr, 
Stephen,  addressed  them  to  the  Lord  Jesus  during  his  stoning ;  and 
many  Christian  martyrs  since  have  breathed  confidently  the  same 
words,  at  the  stake  and  on  the  scaffold.     In  the  private  chamber  too, 

"  When  unto  dying  eyes 
The  casement  slowly  grows  a  glimmering  square," 

has  taken  place  the  same  solemn  committment  of  his  spirit  by  this 
and  that  good  man,  distinguished  for  important  services  rendered  to 
mankind — 

"  He  gave  his  honors  to  the  world  again, 
His  blessed  part  to  heaven,  and  slept  in  peace." 
Doubtless, 

"  'T  is  a  vile  thing  to  die, 
When  men  are  unprepared,  and  look  not  for  it  " — 

(We  quote  by  preference,  from  the  poets  rather  than  the  preacher). 
Shakespeaie  says  further  of  death: 

"  Thou  know'st  'tis  common;  all  that  live  must  die, 
Passing  through  nature  to  eternity."     .     .     . 

"  Why,  what  is  pomp,  rule,  reign,  but  earth  and  dust, 
And,  live  we  how  can,  yet  die  we  must." 

Another  poet  moralizes: 

"  The  glories  of  our  birth  and  state 

Are  shadows,  not  substantial  things; 
There  is  no  armor  against  fate- 
Death  lays  his  icy  hands  on  kings;     *     *     * 
All  heads  must  come 
To  the  cold  tomb- 
Only  the  actions  of  the  just 
Smell  sweet  and  blossom  from  the  dust." 


xliv  INTRODUCTION 


"  The  Last  Words  of  Eminent  Persons  "  are  always  invested  with 
melancholy  interest.  It  has  often  happened,  that  men,  not  known 
to  be  devout,  when  brought  (unexpectedly,  it  may  be)  face  to  face 
with  death,  have  not  been  ashamed  to  make  an  open  avowal  of  their 
secret  belief  in  the  reality  of  religion  by  a  cry  for  mercy,  and  a  com- 
mending of  their  soul  to  the  Christian's  God.  However  we  may 
wish  the  cry  had  been  made  earlier,  and  been  clear  from  all  suspi- 
cion of  superstitious  fear,  we  are  bound  to  respect  it  always  as  some- 
thing inexpressibly  pathetic.  Because  of  their  appropriateness,  the 
words  of  our  text  have  been  more  frequently  used  perhaps  than  any 
others.     We  have  room  only  for  a  few  names. 

John  Huss  was  burned  alive,  July,  1415.  When  he  came  to  the 
stake,  he  threw  himself  upon  his  knees  and  prayed:  "  Into  thy  hands, 
0  Lord,  I  commit  my  spirit.      Thou  hast  redeemed  me." 

Christopher  Columbus  was  born  at  Genoa,  1445-6,  and  died  at  Val- 
ladolid,  May  20th,  1506,  aged  70,  worn  out  by  neglect,  poverty  and 
disease.  His  last  words  were,  "  In  manus  tuas,-commendo  spiritum 
meum:  redimisti  nos,  Domine  Deus  veri talis.  —  Irving' s  Life  of 
Columbus. 

Lady  Jane  Grey,  beautiful,  accomplished  and  good,  who  was 
executed  1554,  at  the  age  of  17,  a  victim  to  the  rashness  and  ambi- 
tion of  her  misguided  parents,  uttered  these  words  as  she  laid  her 
neck  on  the  block. 

The  same  prayer  is  attributed  to  Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  just  before 
she  was  beheaded,  February  8,  1557. 

Francis  Quarles  (B.  1592;  D.  1644)  when  dying,  spake  in  Latin 
to  this  effect:  O  sweet  Saviour  of  the  World,  let  Thy  last  words  upon 
the  cross  be  my  last  words  in  the  world — Into  Thy  hands,  Lord,  I 
commend  my  spirit. — Clissold's  "Last  Hours  of  Christian  Men." 

It  is  told  of  the  Emperor  Charles  V  (Charles  I  of  Spain,  B.  at 
Ghent,  1500;  D.  1558),  that,  having  had  mock  funerals  performed  in 
behalf  of  his  father,  mother  and  wife,  long  dead,  each  on  a  different 
day,  at  which  he  attended,  preceded  by  a  page  bearing  a  taper,  and 


INTRODUCTION.  xlv 


joining  in  the  chant  in  a  very  devout  manner  out  of  a  tattered 
prayer-book,  he  asked  his  confessor  whether  he  might  not  now  per- 
form his  own  funeral — in  other  words,  whether  it  would  not  be  good 
for  his  own  soul.  The  monk  said  it  certainly  would;  and  on  the 
following  day,  the  30th  August,  as  the  monkish  historian  relates, 
this  celebrated  service  was  actually  performed.  The  high  altar,  the 
catafalque,  and  the  whole  church  shone  with  a  blaze  of  wax  lights; 
the  friars  were  all  in  their  places,  at  the  altars  and  in  the  choir,  and 
the  household  of  the  emperor  attended  in  deep  mourning.  The  pious 
monarch  was  there,  attired  in  sable  weeds,  and  bearing  a  taper,  to 
see  himself  interred,  and  to  celebrate  his  own  obsequies.  While  the 
solemn  mass  for  the  dead  was  sung,  he  came  forward,  and  gave  his 
taper  into  the  hands  of  the  officiating  priest  in  token  of  his  desire  to 
yield  his  soul  into  the  hands  of  his  Maker.  The  funeral  rites  ended, 
the  emperor  dined  in  his  western  alcove.  [One  cannot  help  feeling 
that  there  is  something  very  grotesque  and  ghastly  in  this  acting 
one's  own  funeral,  so  much  so,  as  to  suggest  the  existence  of  a  taint 
of  insanity.] 

Three  weeks  afterward,  on  September  20th,  he  had  been  attended 
by  his  confessor  and  by  the  preacher  Villalva  all  the  previous  night, 
who  frequently  read  aloud  at  his  request,  passages  from  Scripture — 
usually  from  the  Psalms — his  favorite  one  being  Psalm  XC.  He 
asked  for  the  eucharist.  Having  had  great  difficulty  in  swallowing 
the  sacred  morsel,  he  opened  his  mouth  and  made  Quixada  see  if  it 
had  all  gone  down.  It  spite  of  his  extreme  weakness,  he  followed 
all  the  responses  as  usual,  and  repeated  with  great  fervor  the  whole 
verse,  In  mantis  tuas,  commendo  spiritum  meum:  redemisti  nos,  Domine, 
Dens  veritatis.  The  clock  had  just  struck  two  when  he  expired. — 
Sterling's  "  Cloister  Life  of the  Emperor  Charles  V." 

Motley,  in  his  History  of  "  The  Rise  of  the  Dutch  Republic,"  relates, 
that  on  June  3,  1568,  Counts  Egmont  and  Horn  were  brought  from 
Ghent  to  Brussels,  and  lodged  in  the  Broodhuis.  On  the  4th,  the  Duke 
of  Alva  pronounced  sentence  against  both  on  an  unsupported  charge 
of  high  treason.  The  Countess  of  Egmont  hearing  of  the  sentence  fell 
at  the  Duke's  feet,  and  implored  mercy  for  her  husband.     He,  with 


x  1  v  i  INI  *R  OD  UC  TION. 


heartless  and  incredible  irony,  reassured  her  that  on  the  morrow  he 
should  be  released.  The  Count,  when  informed  that  his  death  was#to 
take  place  in  the  morning,  expressed  great  surprise  and  indignation 
at  the  cruel  and  unjust  sentence.  On  his  way  to  execution  he 
read  aloud  the  Fifty-first  Psalm.  Having  ascended  the  scaffold  he 
said  the  Lord's  Prayer.  Kneeling  upon  the  cushion  he  drew  a  little 
cap  over  his  eyes,  and  folding  his  hands  together,  cried  with  a  loud 
voice,  "Lord,  into  thy  hands  I  commit  my  spirit."  The  executioner 
then  severed  his  head  from  his  body  at  one  stroke,  A  moment  of 
shuddering  silence  succeeded.  A  dark  cloth  was  now  quickly  thrown 
over  the  body  and  the  blood;  and,  within  a  few  minutes,  the  Admiral, 
Count  Horn,  was  seen  advancing,  his  bald  head  uncovered,  and  his 
hands  unbound.  He  calmly  saluted  each  of  his  acquaintances. 
Casting  his  eyes  upon  the  corpse,  he  asked  if  it  was  the  body  of 
Egmont.  He  did  not  kiss  the  crucifix,  but  knelt  upon  the  scaffold  to 
pray.  Then  drawing  a  Milan  cap  completely  over  his  face,  uttered 
in  Latin,  the  same  invocation  that  Egmont  had  used,  In  manus  tuas, 
etc.,  and  submitted  his  neck  to  the  stroke. 

Froude,  in  his  "  History  of  England,"  gives  this  account  of  the  ex- 
ecution of  Anne  Boyelin,  in  1536.  The  queen  walked  firmly  to  the 
front  of  the  block.  When  the  few  preparations  were  completed,  she 
turned  to  the  spectators,  and  said:  "Christian  people,  I  am  come  to 
die.  And  according  to  law,  and  by  law,  I  am  judged  to  death;  and 
therefore  I  will  speak  nothing  against  it.  I  am  come  here  to  accuse 
no  man,  nor  to  speak  anything  of  that  whereof  I  am  accused  and 
condemned  to  die.  *  *  Thus  I  take  my  leave  of  the  world  and  of 
you;  and  1  heartily  desire  you  all  to  pray  for  me.  O,  Lord,  have 
mercy  on  me.  To  God  I  commend  ?ny  soul!"  These  words,  says 
Stowe,  "she  spoke  with  a  smiling  countenance,"  which  done,  she 
kneeled  down  on  both  her  knees,  and  said:  "  To  Jesus  Christ  I  com- 
mend my  soul;"  and  with  that  word  the  hangman  of  Calais  smote  off 
her  head  at  one  stroke  with  a  sword.  Her  body,  with  the  head,  was 
buried  in  the  quire  of  the  chapel. 

Lord  Thomas  Cromwell,  B.  1490,  D.  1540.  The  concluding  part  of 
his  last  prayer  was   in  these  words:  "Grant,  merciful  Savior,  that 


IJV  TROD  UCTIOX.  xlvii 


when  death  hath  taken  away  the  use  of  my  tongue,  yet  my  heart  may 
cry  and  say  unto  Thee,  Lord,  into  thy  hands  I  commend  my  soul.  Lord 
Jesus  receive  my  spirit.  Amen."  With  these  words  on  his  lips  he 
was  beheaded. 

George  Wishart  was  executed  for  heresy  March  ist,  1546.  He  was 
led  to  the  fire,  with  a  rope  about  his  neck,  and  a  chain  of  iron  about 
his  middle.  When  he  came  to  the  fire,  he  said  these  words  thrice: 
"Oh,  thou  Savior  of  the  world,  have  mercy  upon  me.  Father  of 
Heaven,  L commend  my  spirit  into  thy  hands."  He  was  put  upon  a 
gibbet  and  hanged,  and  then  burnt." — Fronde's  History  of  England. 

In  Michelet's  Life  of  Luther,  we  read,  that  he  arrived  at  Eisleben, 
the  28th  January,  and  though  already  ill,  joined  in  all  the  conferences 
until  the  17th  February,  when  he  was  too  ill  to  go  out.  At  supper  be 
spoke  much  of  his  approaching  end;  and  some  one  asking  him  if  he 
thought  we  should  recognize  each  other  in  the  other  world,  he  re- 
joined that  he  thought  so.  On  returning  to  his  chamber,  he  slept 
without  waking  for  an  hour  and  a  half.  It  was  now  eleven  o'clock. 
When  he  awoke  he  said  to  those  in  attendance,  "  What,  still  sitting 
up  by  me;  why  do  you  not  go  to  rest  yourselves?"  He  then  com- 
menced praying,  and  said  with  fervor,  "  In  man  us  tuas,"  etc.  Later 
he  repeated  three  times  following,  "  In  manus  tuas,"  etc.  Suddenly 
his  eyes  closed  and  he  fainted.  Soon  after  he  expired.  He  was 
born  1484  and  died  1546. 

Monday,  Nov.  24th,  1572,  was  the  last  day  that  John  Knox  spent 
on  earth.  His  biographer,  Dr.  M'Crie,  tells  us:  "In  the  afternoon 
he  desired  his  wife  to  read  the  15th  Chapter  of  First  Corinthians. 
'Is  not  that  a  comfortable  chapter?'  said  he,  when  it  was  finished. 
'  O,  what  sweet  and  salutary  consolation  the  Lord  hath  afforded  me 
from  that  chapter.'  A  little  after  he  said,  'Now,  for  the  last  time, 
/  commend  my  soul,  spirit  and  body,  (touching  three  of  his  fingers), 
into  thy  hands,  0  Lord T  About  eleven  o'clock  he  expired,  without  a 
struggle.  On  Wednesday,  Nov.  26th,  he  was  interred  in  the  church- 
yard of  St.  Giles.  The  regent  pronounced  his  eulogium  in  these 
emphatic  words,  '  There  lies  he  who  never  feared  the  face  of  man.'  " 
c 


xl  viii  IK  TR  OD  UC  TION. 


Torquato  Tasso,  was  born  at  Sorrento,  1544,  died  at  Rome,  1595, 
on  the  evening  of  the  intended  ceremony  of  crowning  him  Prince  of 
Poets,  by  Pope  Clement  VIII,  who  was  a  great  admirer  of  his  genius. 
A  contemporary  account  states  that,  his  end  drawing  near,  no  one 
was  admitted  to  his  chamber,  except  his  confessor,  and  some  fathers 
of  approved  learning  and  sanctity,  who  sung  Psalms,  one  with  an- 
other, Tasso  joining  in  so  far  as  his  failing  breath  would  allow.  So 
he  remained  all  night  till  the  next  day,  when  feeling  himself  giving 
way,  he  began  to  chant  the  words,  In  7?ianns  tuas,  etc.,  but  had  not 
strength  to  finish  the  verse. — Milman's  Life  of  Tasso. 

Psalm  XXXI  I. — This  is  the  second  of  the  Penitential  Psalms.  No 
leaf  from  the  book  of  David's  experience,  all  blotted  as  it  is  with 
tears,  is  so  fraught  with  comfort  as  this.  It  shows  that  the  Evangel 
of  the  Old  Testament,  if  less  clear  in  its  utterances  as  to  the  justify- 
ing reasons  and  grounds  of  the  grace,  differs  in  no  essential  respect 
from  the  Evangel  of  the  New.  We  have  here  in  David  a  typical  ex- 
emplification of  the  possibilities  of  remedial  mercy  —  the  blessed 
freeness  of  Divine  forgiveness  in  a  real  case,  and  the  one  method  set 
forth  of  obtaining  pardon.  Here  is  one,  who  had  been  raised  to  a 
bright  eminence  above  all  men  of  his  time,  '  the  observed  of  all 
observers,'  'the  cynosure  of  neighboring  eyes,'  the  anointed  head 
of  the  Theocracy,  and  representative  of  the  True  Religion 

"  Into  what  pit  thou  seest, 
From  what  height  fallen." 

It  has  been  well  said,  "  Nobody  pays  for  a  little  pleasure  in  evil  at 
so  dear  a  rate,  or  keeps  it  for  so  short  a  time,  as  a  good  man."  In 
such  an  one  Conscience  is  a  terrible  power.  There  is  no  peace  for 
him  night  nor  day.     His  mind  is  "  filled  with  scorpions,"  condemned 

"  Upon  the  torture  of  the  mind  to  lie 
In  restless  ecstacy." 

When  David  says:  "  While  I  kept  silence,  my  bones  waxed  old, 
through  my  roaring  all  the  day  long,"  he  only  tells  us   what  we 


IXTRODUCTIOX.  xllX 


know  must  have  been.  But  when  he  said,  "  I  will  confess  my  trans- 
gression unto  the  Lord,"  forgiveness  followed — the  word  of  healing. 
O,  the  blessedness  of  it.  For  this  shall  everyone  to  the  end  of  time 
pray,  and  seek  the  Lord  while  He  may  be  found.  No  doubt  this 
Psalm  was  written  later  than  the  51st. 

Psalm  XXXIII. — Vers.  16,  17,  seem  to  point  to  a  deliverance  from 
some  formidable  heathen  power  that  employed  cavalry. 

Psalm  XXXIV. — This  is  one  of  the  Alphabetical  Psalms,  and,  like 
the  rest,  didactic  in  character. — See  Notes  to  Ps.  37  and  119. 


During  the  middle  ages  the  copying  of  the  Psalter  was  a  favorite 
employment  in  the  religious  houses.  St.  Columba,  who  had  spent  a 
long  life  in  incessant  labors  among  the  Celtic  and  Gothic  tribes,  oc- 
cupied his  leisure  hours  in  his  beloved  Iona  in  multiplying  copies  of 
the  Psalms.  His  biographer  relates,  that  the  day  on  which  he  died, 
June  9,  597,  he  was  at  work  on  the  Thirty-fourth  Psalm,  and  had 
got  as  far  as  the  tenth  verse,  "  The  young  lions  do  lack  and  suffer 
hunger;  but  they  that  seek  the  Lord  shall  not  want  any  good  thing.' 

Psalm  XXXV. — Ver.  15,  " In  my  adversity"  i.  <•.,  "in  my  sick- 
ness, or  when  I  was  taken  ill." 

Psalm  XXXVII. —An  Alphabetical  Psalm.  See  Note.  Paul  Ger- 
hardt's  widely  known  and  admired  Hymn,  "  Befiehl dit  deine  IVege"  is 
founded  on  the  fifth  verse:  "  Commit  thy  way  unto  the  Lord;  trust 
also  in  Him;  and  He  shall  bring  it  to  pass."  It  was  first  printed  in 
1656.  John  Wesley's  translation,  consisting  of  sixteen  verses,  is 
well-known:  and  as  a  part  or  as  a  whole,  may  be  found  in  most 
of  our  modern   Hymn  Books: 

•'  Commit  thou  all  thy  griefs, 
And  ways  into  His  hands. 
To  His  sure  trustand  tender  care. 
Who  earth  and  heaven  commands," 


INTRODUCTION. 


Gcrhardt  composed,  it  is  said,  133  Hymns.  A  large  number  have 
been  translated  into  English  verse  by  John  Wesley  and  others.  The 
singing  of  his  hymns  as  well  as  Luther's,  was  a  powerful  means  of 
advancing  the  Reformation. 

The  first  Lutheran  Church  in  Philadelphia  was  opened  in  1743, 
with  Gerhardt's  Hymn. 

Robert  Baillie,  says  Dr.  Ker,  was  condemned  to  death  at  Edin- 
burgh, Dec.  24,  1648.  He  was  the  great  grandson  of  John  Knox, 
was  called  the  Scottish  Sidney,  and  was  feared  and  hated  by  the 
Government  of  the  time  for  his  religious  and  political  opinions, 
though  no  unlawful  act  could  be  laid  to  his  charge.  The  evening 
before  his  execution  he  bade  his  son  to  trust  in  the  testimony  of  the 
Psalmist  (Ps.  37:25).  "  I  have  been  young,  and  now  am  old,  yet 
have  I  not  seen  the  righteous  forsaken,  nor  his  seed  begging  bread." 
The  son  proved  worthy  of  his  father,  rose  to  high  office  in  the  State 
after  the  Revolution;  and  the  descendents  of  Robert  Baillie  are 
found  among  some  of  the  noblest  families  of  the  kingdom. 

Psalm  XXXIX. — Ewald  speaks  of  this  Psalm  as  "The  most 
beautiful  of  all  the  elegies  of  the  Psalter." 

Psalm  XLII. — Lord  Fairfax  (B.  161 1;  D.  1671)  was  attacked  by  a 
fever  which  carried  him  off  in  a  few  days.  The  last  morning  of  his 
life  he  called  for  a  Bible,  and  read  the  Forty-second  Psalm. — "  The 
Book  of  Death ." 

Psalm  XLVI. — This  forms  the  basis  of  Luther's  celebrated  Hymn, 
Ein  '  feste  Burg  ist  unser  Gott,  "  A  safe  stronghold  our  God  is  still," 
which  was  written  in  1529,  in  a  time  of  darkest  peril.  Some  one  has 
called  it  '  Luther  in  Song,'  the  rugged  and  fit  embodiment  of  one 
'  whose  words  were  half  battles.'  It  was  a  recruiting  energy  of  im- 
mense efficiency  during  the  whole  progress  of  the  Reformation.  It 
made  brave  men  braver.  It  ennobled  service  and  sacrifice.  It 
rendered  the  faint-hearted,  fearless,  unflinching  and  invincible — lifted 
them  up  to  the  height  of  heroes  and  martyrs,  fighting  or  suffering. 
Each  soldier,  as  he  sang  it,  felt  his  heart  leap.     It  taught  him,  that  if 


IXTRODUCTIOX 


life  was  dear,  there  were  other  things  still  dearer — that  a  pure 
doctrine  and  worship  were  well  worth  dying  for;  that  the  way  to  gain 
life  was  to  be  willing  to  lose  it. 

Crusades  for  the  recovery  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  belonged  to  the  past. 
Unnumbered  lives  and  incalculable  treasure  had,  once  upon  a  time, 
been  sacrificed  in  a  frenzied  struggle  for  the  possession  of  an  empty 
tomb.  No  higher  honor,  no  greater  merit  could  be  imagined  than  to 
have 

"  Fought 

For  Jesu  Christ,  in  glorious  Christian  field, 

Streaming  the  ensign  of  the  Christian  cross, 

Against  black  Pagans,  Turks  and  Saracens.-' 

Here  is  a  returned  knight  of  whom  it  is  told,  that 

"  Worn  out  with  works  of  war,  retired  himself 
To  Italy,  and  there  at  Venice  gave 
His  body  to  that  pleasant  country's  earth, 
And  his  pure  soul  unto  his  Captain,  Christ, 
Under  whose  colors  he  had  fought  so  long." 

But  times  had  changed,  and  worthier  objects  claimed  the  attention  of 
men.  It  was  not  now  the  possession  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  but  the 
possession  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  which  was  the  great  point  of  dis- 
pute— the  casus  belli  that  split  the  nations  into  hostile  camps.  The 
train  was  all  laid,  waiting  for  the  electric  spark,  which  this  Lyric  of 
Luther  partly  supplied,  and  the  effect  was  proportionate.  Heine 
called  it  the  Marseillaise  of  the  Reformation. 

Before  the  battle  of  Leipsic,  September  17,  1631,  under  the  orders 
of  Gustavus  Adolphus,  the  whole  army,  drawn  up  in  battle  array, 
sung  this  Hymn  of  Luther;  and  after  the  victory,  he  thanked  God, 
that  the  assurance  of  the  concluding  line  of  the  second  verse,  '  Shall 
conquer  in  the  battle,'  was  made  good.  The  Hymn  was  again  sung 
before  his  last  fight  at  Liitzen  with  Wallenotein,  in  which,  though 
successful,  he  was  mortally  wounded. 

Psalm  LI,  is  the  third  of  the  Penitential  Psalms,  and  is  known  ;i^ 
the   "Afiserere  "  this  being  the  initial   word   in  the  Latin  Version    >f 


lii  IN  TROD  UC  TION. 


the  Psalm:  Miserere  mei,  Dens,  "  Have  mercy  upon  me,  O  God." 
Here  is  a  cry  for  mercy  that  has  gone,  and  is  going  up,  continually, 
from  innumerable  death-beds.  No  one  has  a  right  to  brand  it  as  weak 
or  cowardly.  It  is  admitted  that  there  is  a  fear  of  death,  which  is 
simply  instinctive  and  common  to  all  animals,  and  that  if  this  were 
all,  it  were  nothing.  But,  indisputably,  man  holds  a  relation  to 
death  which  is  distinctive  and  peculiar.  Endowed  with  "  intellectual 
being,  thoughts  that  wander  through  eternity,"  it  to  him  is  necessarily 
a  thing  of  mysterious  and  mighty  import.  He  cannot  well 
avoid  asking  the  question.  What  is  it  ?     What  does  it  mean  ? 

The  most  skeptical  is  obliged  to  admit,  that  Death  is  an  unsolved 
problem — that,  in  all  philosophical  speculations  respecting  it,  there  is 
a  residuum  of  doubt,  sufficient  to  cause  anxiety.  It  is  the  unthinking 
alone  that  have  no  misgivings.  Infidel  negations,  not  being  based 
on  knowledge,  amount  to  nothing.  They  are  mere  assumptions.  It 
is  unseemly  bravado  for  anyone  to  say:  "  I  have  no  fear  of  death, 
nor  any  anxiety  about  what  lies  beyond  it."  To  speak  thus  is 
evidence  of  foolishness,  not  of  wisdom. 

The  fool  may  say  in  his  heart,  There  is  no  God,  but  how  does  that 
help  his  case?  Suppose  there  is  none,  what  then?  There  is  still 
room  for  innumerable  imaginable  hells.  Buddhism,  eliminates  the 
gods,  but  finds  place  for  136  Buddhist  hells,  places  of  punishment,  into 
which  the  bankrupt  in  merit  is  immediately  born  when  he  dies — the 
shortest  term  of  suffering  being  ten  millions  of  years,  and  the 
longest  being  almost  beyond  the  power  of  even  Indian  notation 
to  express.  It  would  seem  therefore,  that  a  bad  man  can  ground  no 
comfort  on  the  presumption  that  no  God  exists,  so  long  as  there  are 
Buddhist  and  Agnostic  possibilities  of  intolerable  suffering  without 
one.  What  state  can  be  worse  than  to  stand  on  the  brink  of  un- 
known abysses,  with  no  Power  to  pray  to  ! 

Without  reference  to  the  question  of  probation  after  death,  who 
would  not  rather,  like  David,  fall  into  the  hands  of  God,  than  into  the 
hands  of  men  ?  Much  more,  who  would  not  prefer  to  bide  his  chances 
for  weal  or  woe  in  the  next  world,  subject  to  the  disposition  of  a 
Being,  declared  to  be,  "A  God  merciful  and  gracious,  slow  to  anger, 
abundant  in  goodness  and  truth,  forgiving  iniquity,  transgression  and 


INTRODUCTION.  \'n[ 


sin,  but  by  no  means  clearing  the  guilty" — than  to  be  delivered  over 
to  the  crushing  and  grinding  forces  of  blind  mechanic  laws,  and  an 
unfeeling  irresistible  destiny. 

As  God  is  unchangeable,  what  He  is,  He  will  continue  to  be?  So 
much  is  certain.  What  bearing  this  has  on  the  question  of  probation 
after  death,  and  the  duration  of  future  punishment,  it  may  not  be 
impertinent  to  inquire,  quite  fearlessly,  up  to  a  certain  point,  beyond 
which  we  have  no  right  to  go.  When  a  prurient  and  unwarranted 
curiosity  leads  us  to  pry  into  matters  which  do  not  directly  concern 
us,  and  which  God  has  not  seen  fit  to  reveal,  He  checks  and  shames 
our  presumption  by  the  mildness  and  condescension  of  His  lofty 
challenge,  "  Shall  not  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  do  right?  Cannot 
you  trust  Me?  Must  I  give  an  account  of  all  My  doings  to  you 
beforehand?"  What  reply  did  Christ  make  when  questioned  as  to 
the  number  who  should  be  saved,  and  the  precise  time  of  the  end? 
If  one  might  be  so  bold,  as  to  turn  the  sweet  courtesy  and  grace  of 
the  Divine  answer  into  the  coarseness  of  our  every-day  speech,  it 
would  run  somewhat  in  this  wise:  "  I  may  not  tell  you.  It  is  none  of 
your  business."  Surely,  if  I  believe  in  a  God  at  all,  I  can  afford  to 
trust  Him,  without  any  assurances  and  guarantees  beforehand. 

Do  you  not  know,  my  brother,  has  it  not  been  told  you,  God  is 
Love?  Out  of  the  immeasurable  Ocean  of  Doubt  rises  this  Rock  of 
Certainty.  Its  shining  pinnacles  pierce  the  Heavens.  This  Rock  is 
Christ,  which  is  only  another  name  for  Divine  Love  in  Divinest  man- 
ifestation. Upon  this  Rock,  fixed  and  everlasting,  it  is  your  privilege 
and  mine  to  stand.  What  if  billows  beat  below,  they  cannot  mount 
to  these  serene  altitudes  !  What  if  darkness  encompass  us,  thick  and 
impenetrable,  we  are  comforted  with  the  assurance  that  it  hides  noth- 
ing that  can  harm  us,  since  Love  is  there  in  the  darkness  !  Why 
then  is  man  wretched?  Whence  comes  his  misery?  Why  do  our 
Misereres  ascend?  Where  lies  our  danger?  Where  but  in  ourselves, 
and  from  ourselves?  If  all  were  right  within,  all  would  be  right 
without. 

"  He  that  hath  light  within  his  own  clear  breast, 
May  sit  in  the  centre,  and  enjoy  bright  day: 
But  he  that  hides  a  dark  soul  and  foul  thoughts. 
Benighted  walks  under  the  mid-day  sun, 
Himself  is  his  own  dungeon." 


Hv  INTRODUCTION. 


What  we  need  is  an  internal  salvation  —  to  be  saved  from  our  sins. 
To  be  saved  in  our  sins  is  impossible.  For  what  would  that  involve? 
Nothing  short  of  this:  Order,  which  is  Heaven's  first  law,  would  be 
broken  Not  a  single  link  in  all  that  chain  which  binds  the  universe 
to  the  Eternal  Throne  but  would  be  shattered.  Manifestly  a  dissolu- 
tion of  the  tie  which  unites  cause  and  effect  necessitates  chaos,  the 
negation  of  government,  and  the  annihilation  of  the  Godhead.  For 
God  could  not  be  otherwise  than  he  is,  and  be  at  all.  We  see,  there- 
fore, how  irrational  is  the  hope,  that  we  shall  ever  be  able  to  handle 
fire  with  impunity,  so  long  as  fire  is  fire  and  flesh  is  flesh.  An  impure 
man  wants  to  reap  the  rewards  of  purity  —  to  gather  grapes  of  thorns. 
He  wishes  to  be  happy,  but  is  unwilling  to  comply  with  the  condi- 
tions of  happiness.  The  mountain  must  come  to  Mahomet,  since 
Mahomet  will  not  go  to  the  mountain. 

If  we  had  not  abundant  proof  of  this  perversity  all  around  us,  nay, 
a  degree  of  it  in  ourselves,  we  would  not  be  able  to  credit  it.  In 
some  cases  it  would  seem  to  reach  a  stage  where  it  is  incurable. 
Evil  tends  to  perpetuate  itself.  Habit  confirms  obduracy.  Reform 
becomes  more  and  more  difficult,  the  longer  a  man  lives  in  sin.  It 
would  be  hard  to  turn  Methuselah  into  new  paths.  Millennial  deprav- 
ity is  dreadful  to  think  of. 

The  law  of  tendency  no  doubt  is  for  the  unrighteous  to  remain 
unrighteous  —  the  filthy  to  continue  filthy. 

"  Suppose  God  should  relent 
And  publish  grace  to  all,  on  promise  made 
Of  new  subjection;  with  what  eyes  could  we 
Stand  in  His  presence  humble,  and  receive 
Strict  laws  imposed  to  celebrate  His  throne 
With  warbled  hymns,  and  to  His  Godhead  sing 
Forced. hallelujahs  :  how  wearisome 
Eternity  to  spend  in  worship  paid 
To  one  we  hate  !  " 

The  object  of  this  line  of  thought  is  to  show,  that  we  have  not  so 
much  reason  to  fear  God  as  to  fear  ourselves.  The  danger  of  our 
perdition  is  not  from  without  but  from  within. 

The   argument   in   favor  of    a   posthumous   probation    proves    too 


IX  TROD  UCT J  OX 


much.  We  encounter  at  the  outset  this  difficulty:  If  Divine  fairness 
requires  that  all  men  should  be  treated  alike;  that  no  one  should  be 
permitted  to  have  any  advantage  over  another;  that  the  opportunities 
which  have  been  accorded  to  some,  should  be  extended  to  all — particu 
larly  the  opportunity  of  accepting  the  salvation  offered  through 
Christ — so  that  an  absolute  equality  of  privilege  should  be  secured  to 
every  human  being  who  has  lived  or  shall  live  —  then,  it  is  manifest, 
that  the  new  trial  will  need  to  reach  backward  and  forward  so  as  to 
comprehend  almost  the  entire  human  race.  Cui  bono?  Besides,  if 
there  is  to  be  a  probation  after  death,  it  must  clearly  be  a  probation 
different  from  the  earthly  one.  It  can  be  more  favorable,  or  less 
favorable,  but  it  cannot  be  the  same,  for  the  scene  and  circumstances 
of  the  trial  are  not  the  same.  To  a  disembodied  spirit  whence  shall 
come  those  fleshly  lusts,  which  in  this  life  war  so  fiercely  against  the 
soul?  That  the  ordeal  is  to  be  less  severe,  and  the  result  more  favor- 
able, militate  against  those  passages  of  Scripture  which  speak  of  peril, 
great  and  imminent,  which  men  are  urged  to  escape  from,  declaring 
and  protesting,  now  is  the  accepted  time,  and  7io-w  is  the  day  of  sal- 
vation What  is  the  use  of  a  new  opportunity  with  no  different  issue  ? 
Possibly,  some  of  our  Creeds  are  too  narrow  and  need  enlarging. 
Of  God  and  His  ways,  how  little  do  we  know.  He  has  revealed  Him- 
self only  in  part.  So  much  as  was  necessary  for  us  to  know,  He  has 
told  us,  and  little  or  nothing  beyond.  But  we  are  only  a  small  part  of 
His  great  family.  We  know  what  He  is  to  our  world,  but  not  what 
He  is  to  other  worlds.  We  have  therefore  no  right  to  say  that  He  is 
shut  up  to  but  one  way  in  His  dealings  with  His  creatures.  We  may 
be  convinced,  that,  if  He  has  other  ways,  not  one  of  them  is  so  dear 
and  wonderful  as  that  revealed  to  us  through  Jesus  Christ.  No  doubt 
every  way  He  has  devised  is  like  Himself,  divinely  perfect,  and  suited 
to  the  case.  Bewildering  speculations  about  the  final  fate  of  the 
heathen  are  useless,  if  not  worse  than  useless.  We  know  that  the 
Gospel  is  necessary  to  them,  otherwise  we  would  not  be  commanded 
to  take  it  to  them,  or  send  it.  Our  duty  toward  them  ends  with  this 
life.  What  will  become  of  them  beyond  this  life,  that  is  God's  mat- 
ter, not  ours.  And  well  it  is  so.  It  is  not  for  man  to  say  what  is 
right — to  instruct  the  Judge,  or  anticipate  Him. 


[  v  i  IN  TR  OD  UC  TION 


Judgment  is  the  highest  function  of  Godhead.  The  first  requisite 
is  omniscience,  and  nobody  is  Omniscient  but  God.  Problems  which 
are  difficult  to  us,  are  not  difficult  to  Him.  He  has  Divine  solutions 
for  all  enigmas.  No  man,  nor  body  of  men,  with  the  combined  wis- 
dom of  all  the  angels,  would  be  competent  to  pass  sentence  on  a  sin- 
gle human  soul.  But  God  is  able  to  do  so  easily  and  infallibly,  so 
that  no  creature  in  the  universe  shall  have  just  cause  of  complaint 
against  his  Maker  in  the  end.  That  poor  wretch  —  who  has  lived 
amid  depraved  surroundings,  ever  since  he  was  born;  who  is  of  cor- 
rupt lineage,  vicious,  so  to  speak,  almost  from  necessity  —  will  he  be 
allowed  to  plead  these  adverse  influences?  He  will.  Whether  he 
pleads  them  or  not,  they  shall  plead  for  him.  The  Supreme  Judge 
will  take  every  thing  into  account.  He  will  unravel  the  entire  web  of 
his  life  to  the  last  thread  and  fibre;  will  follow  up  the  taint  of  a  bad 
ancestry  back  to  Adam,  if  need  be;  and  will  temper  justice  by  the 
extenuating  circumstances  of  his  whole  history,  so  that  justice  and 
mercy  and  every  attribute  of  His  Godhead  shall  be  vindicated  and 
glorified  in  the  sentence. 

It  is  enough  to  know  that  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  will  do  right. 
In  no  way  can  we  so  honor  Him  as  to  trust  Him — to  trust  Him 
implicitly — to  say  with  a  filial  heart,  •'  Father,  Thy  will  be  done." 
Our  duty  is  to  trust  Him  always  and  to  the  end.  Were  we  stand- 
ing on  a  precipice,  and  heard  God's  voice  saying,  "  Throw  thyself 
down  " — and  could  be  sure  that  it  was  His  voice,  and  not  Satan's,  we 
need  not  hesitate,  knowing  that  we  shall  fall  into  the  arms  of  God — 
yea,  even  though  our  body  should  be  mangled  and  crushed  at  the  foot, 
our  soul  shall  be  safe  in  Him. 

It  is  instructive  to  observe  how  differently  good  men  deport  them- 
selves in  their  last  moments.  One  might  suppose  that  Christian 
heroes  and  martyrs  would  have  no  occasion  to  use  the  words  of  this 
Psalm,  but  it  is  remarkable  how  large  a  number  of  those  whose  lives 
have  been  spent  in  devoted  service,  have,  in  extremis,  sent  up  this  last 
cry  for  mercy.  No  doubt  it  is  largely  an  affair  of  temperament,  and 
proves  little  or  nothing.  Bunyan,  in  his  immortal  Allegory,  illustrates 
this  in  the  cases  of  Christian  and  Hopeful,  while  crossing  together  the 
River  of  Death. 


INTRODUCTION.  lvii 


Of  all  that  has  been  said,  this  is  the  sum.  From  some  cause  or 
other,  man's  nature  is  out  of  joint.  What  he  needs  is  a  change  of 
will,  a  change  of  affection,  a  change  of  spiritual  relations,  a  change 
from  discord  to  harmony,  so  that,  inasmuch  as.  at  the  first,  in  a  higher 
sense  than  Pythagoras  intended  or  imagined, 

"  From  harmony,  from  heavenly  harmony 
This  universal  frame  began; 
F.om  harmony  to  harmony, 
Through  all  the  compass  of  the  notes  it  ran, 
The  diapason  closing  full  in  man," 

there  may  be,  at  last,  a  restoration  to  pristine  musical  consent  and 
agreement,  without  one  jarring  note.  In  the  mean  time,  let  our 
miserere,  if  need  be,  go  up,  not  doubting,  if  sincere,  that  it  will  be 
heard,  The  dying  thief,  we  know,  was  heard  in  the  last  hour,  but 
how  much  better  is  it  to  seek,  and  experience  the  blessedness  of 
"  the  healing  benediction  "  at  once,  than  to  wait.  Or  should  there  be 
those  inclined  to  holy  mirth,  let  them  sing  psalms. 

Psalm  LV. — Whether  or  not,  Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  was  privy  to 
the  murder  of  her  husband,  Darnley,  has  been  always  a  vexed  ques- 
tion. Froude  supplies  us  with  this  story:  "  When  the  Queen  quitted 
Darnley's  bedside,  after  being  more  than  ordinarily  lavish,  as  it 
seemed,  of  her  fondness,  she  let  drop  one  fearful  sentence.  The  Earl, 
though  it  was  late,  was  in  no  mood  for  sleep;  and  Mary's  last 
words  sounded  awfully  in  his  ears.  '  She  was  very  kind.'  he  said  to 
Nelson,  'but  why  did  she  speak  of  Davie's  (Rizzio)  slaughter?' 
Just  then  Paris  came  back  to  fetch  a  fur  wrapper  which  the  Queen 
had  left,  and  which  she  thought  too  pretty  to  be  spoiled.  '  What 
will  she  do?'  Darnley  said  again,  when  she  was  gone,  '  It  is  very 
lonely.'  The  shadow  of  death  was  creeping  over  him;  he  was  no 
longer  the  random  boy,  when,  two  years  before,  he  had  come  to 
Scotland,  filled  with  idle  dreams  of  vain  ambition.  Sorrow,  suffering, 
disease  and  fear  had  done  their  work.  He  opened  the  Prayer  Book 
and  read  over  the  Fifty-fifth  Psalm,  which  by  a  strange  coincidence 
was  in  the   English   service  for  the  day  (Sunday.  February  9,  1567) 


lviii  INTRODUCTION 


that  was  dawning.  The  last  words  that  passed  his  lips  were  vs.  1-5 
of  this  Psalm,  which  read:  '  Hear  my  prayer,  O  Lord,  and  hide  not 
Thyself  from  my  petition.  My  heart  is  disquieted  within  me,  and 
the  fear  of  death  hath  fallen  upon  me:  Fearfulness  and  trem- 
bling are  come  upon  me.  It  is  not  an  open  enemy  that  hath  done 
me  this  dishonor,  for  then  I  could  have  borne  it.  It  was  even,  thou, 
my  companion,  my  guide,  and  my  own  familiar  friend.'  Forlorn 
victim  of  a  cruel  time  !  Twenty-one  years  old — no  more.  At  the  end 
of  an  hour  he  went  to  bed  with  his  page  at  his  side.  An  hour 
later,  they  two  were  found  lying  dead  in  the  garden  under  the  stars. 
The  house  had  been  blown  up  with  gun-powder." — Fronde  s  "History 
of  England." 

Psalm  LXVII,  has  been  called  "The  Lord's  Prayer  of  the  Old 
Testament." 

Psalm  LXVIII. — Called  by  the  Huguenots  the  "Song  of  Battle," 
and  often  sung  by  them,  amid  the  storm  of  conflict,  (French  Version). 
Mere  is  the  beginning  (as   given  in   "  les  Psaumes  de  David  mis  en 

Vers  Francois,"  published  in  1807): 

Que  Dieu  se  montre  seulement, 
Et.l'on  verra  dans  un  moment 

Abandonner  la  place, 
Le  camp  des  ennemis  epars, 
Epouvante"  de  toutes  parts, 

Fuira  devant  sa  face. 
On  verra  tout  ce  camp  s'enfuir 
Comme  Ton  voit  s'evanonir 

Une  ^paisse  fumee: 
Comme  la  cire  fond  au  feu, 
Ainsi  des  medians  devant  Dieu, 

La  force  est  consumee,  etc. 

As  this  Psalm  is  not  found  among  those  that  Marot  translated,  the 
version  here  given  is  probably  Beza's,  slightly  altered. 

The  following  account  of  the  Battle  of  Dunbar,  fought  September 
3,  1650,  is  taken  from  Carlyle's  Life  of  Oliver  Cromwell:  The  small 
Town  of  Dunbar  stands  on  one  of  those  projecting  rock-promon- 
tories with  which  the  shore  of  the  Frith  of  Forth  is  niched,  forming 


IXTR0DUCT10X.  lvi\ 


a  grim  barrier  of  whinstone,  sheltering  it  from  the  chafing  and 
tumbling  of  the  German  Ocean.  Landward  rises,  some  short  mile 
off,  a  long  hill  of  considerable  height,  called  the  Doon  or  Doon  Hill. 
On  this  Hill  lies  David  Leslie  with  the  victorious  Scotch  army. 
Cockburnspath  with  its  ravines  has  been  seized  on  Oliver's  right  and 
made  impassable.  Behind  Oliver  is  the  sea.  Lesley's  force  is 
23,000,  Oliver's  about  half  as  many.  Lesley  commits  the  mistake  of 
coming  down  to  the  base  of  the  Hill,  edging  with  a  portion  of  his 
army  towards  the  right  to  cut  off  the  enemy's  retreat  on  that  side. 
At  the  sight  of  this  movement,  Cromwell  determines  to  profit  by  the 
advantage  it  affords,  and  to  anticipate  the  enemy's  attack  by  attack- 
ing first.  All  things  being  in  readiness  (the  night  has  been  wild  and 
wet)  for  the  attack  to  be  made  at  earliest  daybreak,  the  trumpets 
sound  and  there  is  cannonading  along  the  whole  line.  The  Scots  too 
are  on  the  wing,  and  awake.  At  the  end  of  an  hour's  righting  the 
Scotch  give  way  and  run.  Just  then  over  the  Abb's  head  and  the 
German  Ocean  bursts  the  first  gleam  of  the  level  sun,  and  Cromwell 
is  heard  to  say,  in  the  words  of  the  Sixty-eighth  Psalm,  "Let  God, 
arise,  let  His  enemies  be  scattered" — or,  in  Rous's  metre, 

"  Let  God  arise,  and  scattered 
Let  all  His  enemies  be 
And  let  all  those  that  do  Him  hate 
Before  His  presence  flee  !  " 

Even  so.  The  Scotch  army  is  shivered  to  utter  ruin;  rushes  in 
tumultuous  wreck,  hither,  thither.  Before  entering  on  the  pursuit, 
Oliver  orders  a  halt,  and  all  sing  the  Hundred  and  Seventeenth 
Psalm,   uplifting  it  to  the   tune   of    Bangor,   and    rolling    it    strong 


against  the  sky 


O  give  ye  praise  unto  the  Lord, 

All  nati-ons*  that  be: 
Likewise  ye  peop.e  ajl,  accord 

His  name  to  magnify. 

For  great  to-us-ward  ever  are 
His  loving  kindnesses: 

His  truth  endures  forevermore: 
The  Lord  O  do  ye  bless. 


*  To  be  pronounced  in  three  syllables. 


lx  INTRODUCTIOX. 


Psalm  LXXI.— Robert  Blair,  the  grandfather  of  Robert  Blair,  the 
author  of  The  Grave,  called  this  "  My  Psalm." 

Philip  de  Morney,  an  illustrious  friend  and  champion  of  the  Hugue- 
nots, on  his  death-bed  desired  the  Seventy-first  Psalm  to  be  read  to 
him. 

Psalm  LXXVI. — Charles  Kingsley,  when  sailing  up  the  Rhine, 
and  looking  on  the  strongholds  of  the  old  freebooters,  writes:  "  How 
strange  that  my  favorite  Psalm  about  the  hills  of  the  robbers  {hills  of 
prey)  should  have  come  in  course  the  very  first  day  I  sailed  up  the 
Rhine." 

Psalm  LXXIX. — Fourteen  Protestants  of  Meaux,  arrested  at  a 
meeting,  sang  this  Psalm  as  they  went  to  death. 

Psalm  LXXXV. —  When  Richard  Cromwell  was  installed  Pro- 
tector, Dr.  Thomas  Godwin  preached,  at  the  opening  of  Parliament, 
January  27,  1659,  a  sermon,  taking  for  his  text,  Ver.  10,  "  Mercy  and 
truth  are  met  together;  righteousness  and  peace  have  kissed  each 
other." 

Psalm  XC— Herder  calls  it,  "  that  Ancient  Psalm,  that  Hymn  of 
Eternity."     Vers.  1-4  is  the  burial  song  of  the  Russian  Church. 

John  Hampden  (B.  1594;  D.  1643),  at  the  beginning  of  the  Civil 
War,  was  fatally  wounded  in  a  skirmish  with  Rupert's  cavalry 
between  Thame  and  Oxford.  In  great  pain  and  almost  fainting  he 
reached  Thame  where  his  wounds  were  dressed.  After  nearly  six 
days  of  cruel  suffering  he  died.  He  was  buried  among  the  hills  and 
woods  of  Chiltern.  Many  troops  in  the  neighborhood  followed  the 
beloved  body  to  its  grave,  with  arms  reversed,  drums  and  ensigns 
muffled,  and  heads  uncovered,  singing  the  Ninetieth  Psalm  as  they 
went,  and  the  43rd  as  they  returned. —  Forsters  "Lives  of  British 
Statesmen." 

Psalms  XCVI,  XCVII,  XCVIII.— Dr.  William  Alexander,  Bishop 
of  Derry,  says,  "  We  have  in  these  Psalms  the  paeans  of  all  creation." 


IXTRODUCTIOX.  lxi 


Psalm  C. — Xo  Psalm  has  been  more  sung.  It  gave  name  to  the 
tune  known  as  Old  Hundred  composed  by  William  Franc  in  1553  — 
sometimes  attributed  to  Luther,  but  he  only  changed  and  improved  it. 

Bishop  Heber  speaks  of  having  been  greatly  moved  at  hearing 
Thirteen  Hundred  native  Christians  —  at  a  Tamul  service  in  Tangore, 
Inciia  —  all  join  in  singing  this  Psalm  in  their  own  tongue. 

Psalm  CI. — David  was  engaged  in  the  task  of  ordering  his  house- 
hold. Yer.  3,  house.  The  king's  house  in  an  Eastern  monarchy 
included  the  government  of  his  army,  and  the  administration  of  jus- 
tice. 


Ernest,  the  pious  Duke  of  Saxe-Gotha,  the  founder  of  the  Saxe- 
Gotha  family  (B.  1601;  D.  1675)  used  to  send  a  copy  of  the  Psalms 
to  unfaithful  officials,  so  that  when  any  magistrate  had  done  wrong, 
it  became  a  proverb,  "  He  will  certainly  receive  the  Prince's  Psalm 
to  read":  "  Mine  eye  shall  be  upon  the  faithful  of  the  land,'' etc. 
He  was  the  intimate  friend  of  Gustavus  Adolphus. 

Psalm  CII. — Is  the  Fifth  of  the  Seven  Penitential  Psalms.  Dr. 
Ker  remarks,  there  is  no  grander  missionary  hymn  than  Vers.  13-22. 

Psalm  CVII. — Contains,  according  to  one  hypothesis,  the  thanks- 
giving of  exiles  (Yer.  3)  not  yet  returned  to  Jerusalem,  but  already 
escaped  from  the  thraldom  of  Babylon.  The  main  body  of  the  Psalm 
was  probably  sung  only  by  the  leader,  the  chorus  joining  in  the  re- 
frain.     "  O  that  men  would  praise  the  Lord,"  etc. 

Psalm  CXVI. — This  Psalm  was  a  great  favorite  with  Dante.  He 
introduces  it  into  his  Purgatorio  as  sung  by  a  hundred  spirits  just 
arrived  under  the  conduct  of  an  angel  : 

'  In  exitu  Israel  de  Egyfito* 
All  with  one  voice  together  sang,  with  what 
In  the  remainder  of  that  hymn  is  writ  — 

and  he  speaks  elsewhere,  in  his  prose  writings,  of  the  114th  Psalm  as 
the  voice  of  thrilling  joy. 


Ixii  INTRODUCTION. 


PSALM  CXV. — Henry  V.  entered  France  by  Calais  with  an  English 
army.  It  was  already  much  wasted  and  reduced  in  numbers  by  sick- 
ness, when  the  battle  of  Agincourt  took  place  on  St.  Caspian's  Day, 
1415.  The  French  army,  four  times  the  number  of  its  opponents, 
was  overthrown,  and  the  flower  of  the  French  chivalry  either  fell  in 
the  field  or  were  taken  prisoners.  After  the  battle  was  over,  Henry 
ordered  the  chaplain  to  read  the  115th  Psalm;  and  at  the  words, 
"  Not  unto  us,  but  unto  Thy  name  give  the  glory,"  the  king  and  cav- 
alry dismounted,  and  they  and  all  the  host  prostrated  themselves 
on  the  ground.     Shakespeare  puts  it  thus  : 

"  O  God,  Thy  arm  was  here, 
And  not  to  us,  but  to  Thy  arm  alone 
Ascribe  we  all.— When  without  stratagem, 
But  in  plain  shock,  and  even  play  of  battle, 
Was  ever  known  so  great  and  little  loss 
On  one  part  and  the  other?—  Take  it,  God, 
For  it  is  only  Thine  !  "  —Henry  I'.,  Act  I\ '.,  Scene  J  HI. 

Basing-House,  Pawlet,  Marquis  of  Winchester's  mansion,  stood  at 
a  small  distance  from  Basingstoke  in  Hampshire.  It  was  a  very 
important  royal  stronghold,  and  had  stood  siege  after  siege  for  four 
years.  The  Lieutenant-General,  Cromwell,  gathering  all  the  artil- 
lery he  could  lay  hold  of,  stormed  and  took  it.  Carlyle  tells,  that  he 
had  spent  much  time  in  prayer  the  previous  night;  and  as  he  seldom 
fought  without  some  text  of  Scripture  to  support  him,  he  rested  on 
the  eighth  verse  of  the  115th  Psalm. 

The  Turks  marched,  plundering  and  devastating,  to  the  walls  of 
Vienna.  The  capital  seemed  lost.  The  Imperial  army  commanded 
by  Charles  of  Lorraine,  in  conjunction  with  a  Polish  force  under 
the  heroic  king,  John  Sobieski,  defeated  the  Turks,  and  relieved  the 
beleaguered  city,  September  12th,  16S3.  The  battle-song  of  the 
Polish  king,  sung  on  the  occasion,  was  Non  nobis,  Domine.  The 
battle  was  a  turning-point  in  history.  The  Turkish  power,  previ- 
ously so  formidable,  as  to  threaten  the  overrunning  of  Europe,  was 
effectually  broken. 

Psalm  CXVII. — Sung  by  Cromwell  and  his  at  my  after  the  battle 


INTRODUCTION.  lxiii 


of  Dunbar,  September  3,  1650,  and  known  afterwards  by  the  Puri- 
tans as  the  Dunbar  Psalm. 

Psalm  CXVIIL— The  biographer  of  Clement  Marot  tells,  that  he 
presented  the  Emperor  Charles  V.,  as  he  was  passing  through  France, 
with  a  copy  of  his  Psalter,  who  gave  the  poet  200  doubloons,  and  asked 
him  to  complete  his  translation,  praying  him  to  send  him  as  soon  as 
he  could  the  translation  of  the  uSth  Psalm,  as  he  loved  it  much.  It 
took  rank  with  the  63th  as  the  battle-song  of  the  Huguenots. 

When  William  of  Orange  landed  at  Torbay  in  i6S3,  he  asked  Car- 
stares  to  conduct  service.  He  prayed  and  gave  part  of  the  118th 
Psalm  to  be  sung,  in  which  all  the  troops  along  the  beach  joined; 
and  this  act  of  devotion,  it  is  said,  produced  a  sensible  effect. 

The  17th  verse,  "  I  shall  not  die  but  live,  and  declare  the  works  of 
the  Lord,"  was  the  last  utterance  of  Philip  Berthelier,  a  noble  Gen- 
evese.  At  the  time  that  Bonivard  was  committed  to  the  dungeon  of 
Chillon,  1519,  for  defending  the  liberty  of  his  native  city,  Berthelier 
was  beheaded  on  an  island  at  the  outlet  of  the  Lake  of  Geneva. 

Ver.  22,  "  The  stone  which  the  builders,"  etc.,  was  the  text  of 
Ebenezer  Erskine's  sermon,  preached  October  10.  1732,  before  the 
Synod,  which  led  to  the  formation  of  the  Secession  Church. — Ker. 

Psalm  CXIX. —  Is  the  most  perfect  specimen  of  the  Alphabetic  or 
Acrostic  Psalms — Bishop  Cowper  calls  it  "  a  Holy  Alphabet  " — not 
amiss,  perhaps,  if  we  consider  that  the  Primer  of  the  Divine  Law  is 
the  first  book  to  be  learned,  beginning  with  the  heavenly  A,  B,  C  of 
obedience. 

Ver.  9.  "  Wherewithal  shall  a  young  man  cleanse  his  way  ?  By 
taking  heed  thereto  according  to  Thy  word."  Henry  Scougal, 
author  of  The  Life  of  God  in  the  Soul  of  Man,  was  so  impressed  with 
these  words  that  he  became  a  Christian  minister — and  later,  Profes- 
sor of  Theology,  King's  College,  Aberdeen.  He  died  in  1679  aged 
twenty-eight. 

Ver.  20.  Chalmers  says,  while  he  could  not  speak  of  the  raptures 
of  Christian  enjoyment,  he  thought  he  could  enter  into  the  feeling  of 
the  Psalmist,  "  My  soul  breaketh  for  the  longing  it  hath  unto  Thy 
judgments  at  all  times." 

Pascal  singled  out  ver.  59  as  pivotal:   "  I  thought  on  my  ways,  and 


lxi  v  IN  TR  OD  UC  TIOX. 


turned  my  feet  unto  thy  testimonies."  He  used  to  say  that,  "with 
the  deep  study  of  life,  this  Psalm  contained  the  sum  of  all  Christian 
virtues. '' 

Ver.  83,  bottle  in  the  smoke.  The  bottle  being  of  skin  would  shrivel 
and  burn  in  the  smoke  like  leather — an  apt  metaphor  for  one,  the  sap 
of  whose  life  was  dried  up  by  trouble. 

Ver.  92.  "Unless  Thy  law  had  been  my  delight,  I  should  have 
perished  in  mine  affliction, "  is  written  on  Luther's  Bible  by  his  own 
hand.     The  date  is  1542. 

Ver.  97.  Henry  Martin  says,  "  I  experienced  a  solemn  gladness 
in  learning  this  part,  '  mem,'  of  the  119th  Psalm." 

Ver.  105.  "  Thy  word  is  a  lamp  unto  my  feet."  This  is  the  text 
prefixed  to  a  little  book  called  The  Lantern  of  Light,  which  was 
the  favorite  reading  of  the  Lollards  before  the  Reformation.  The 
Lollards  of  England  and  Scotland  were  charged  with  reading  the 
Bible  in  their  mother-tongue — Wickliffe's  translation — and  with 
esteeming  it  above  any  instruction  they  received  from  the  priests. 
On  this  account  they  were  called  Biblemen. — Ker. 

Ver.  164,  "  Seven  times  in  a  day  will  L  praise  77tee."  In  the  fourth 
century,  the  number  of  Canonical  Hours  for  daily  devotion  was  en- 
larged from  three  to  seven  in  accordance  with  the  above;  but  they 
were  strictly  kept  only  in  the  cloisters,  under  the  technical  names 
of  ma/ina,  about  three  o'clock,  A.  m.  ;  prima,  about  six,  a.  m.  ;  terlia, 
nine,  A.  M.;  nona,  three,  P.  M.;  vesper,  six,  P.  M.;  completorium,  nine, 
P.  M. ;  and  mesonyctium  or  vigilia,  midnight.  Usually  two  nocturnal 
prayers  were  added. 

William  Wilbcrforce  writes  in  his  diary,  1819,  "  Walked  from  Hyde 
Park  Corner  repeating  the  119th  Psalm." 

John  Rus/cin,  in  "  Fors  Clavigera"  says,  "  It  is  strange  that  of  all 
the  pieces  of  the  Bible  which  my  mother  taught  me,  that  which  cost 
me  most  to  learn,  and  was,  to  my  child's  mind,  most  repulsive,  the 
119th  Psalm,  has  now  become,  of  all,  the  most  precious  to  me  in  its 
overflowing  passion  of  love  for  the  law  of  God." 

Psalm  CXX. — This  is  the  first  of  a  Collection  of  Fifteen  Psalms, 
(Pss.  120-13.1).  each  bearing  the  title,  Pilgrim  Song,  literally.  Song  of 


INTRODUCTIOX.  lxv 

Ascents,  Song  of  the  Goings-up,  namely,  to  the  Holy  City,  "whither 
the  tribes  go  up"  (Ps.  122:  4).  Many,  perhaps  most,  were  written 
with  another  design,  and  selected  for  this  purpose  because  of  their 
suitableness.  The  goings-up  might  relate  to  the  going  up  from 
Babylon  at  the  close  of  the  Captivity,  or  from  different  parts  of 
Palestine.  Three  annual  pilgrimages  to  the  Holy  City  were  required 
by  the  Law.  These  were  usually  made  in  large  companies,  with 
singing  on  the  route. 

Psalm  CXXIV. — A  Pilgrim  Ode.  Ver.  6,  The  snare  is  broken,  and 
7ae  are  escaped,  referring  to  the  deliverance  of  the  Jews  from  their 
captivity  in  Babylon. 

Attempts  have  been  made  to  chronologize  the  Psalms.  "  The 
Psalms  Chronologically  Arranged,  by  Four  Friends,'"  adopt  the 
arrangement  of  Ewald,  "  as  full  of  suggestive  thought,  edifying,  and 
generally  satisfactory."  But  however  acute  and  learned,  the  ele- 
ment of  conjecture  enters  too  largely  to  entitle  it  to  more  than  a 
limited  acceptance.  According  to  this,  the  present  Psalm  marks 
the  beginning  of  a  period  extending  from  the  rebuilding  of  the  Tem- 
ple. The  destruction  of  Babylon  by  Cyrus  freed  Israel  from  the 
thraldom  of  the  Chaldeans.  The  nation,  once  careless  of  the  law, 
after  this  grew  tenacious  of  its  very  letter;  once  rigorously  exclusive, 
they  now  saw  their  ideal  in  the  king  who  should  enroll  all  the  world 
as  citizens  of  a  spiritual  Jerusalem.  The  future  duty  of  the  nation 
was,  to  make  themselves  ready  for  his  advent. 

The  above  scheme  arranges  the  Psalms  covering  this  period  in  the 
following  order:  Pss.  124,  129,  125,  126,  127,  128,  133,  122,  87,  134. 
137,  118,  125,  106,  138,  92,  93,  95,  ioo,  97,  99,  96,  98,  67,  68,  66,  91, 
139.  44,  74,  79,  80,  132,  89,  60,  85,  83,  78,  81. 

Psalm  CXXIX. — An  outburst  of  joy  at  deliverance  from  captivity. 
A  Pilgrim  Ode. 

Psalm  CXXXIV.— A  Temple-hymn.  Ver.  2,  by  night,  the  priests 
lodged  round  about  the  House  of  God,  and  some  were  employed  day 
and  night.  The  lamps  were  kept  burning  all  night.  The  last  of  the 
Pilgrim  Odes. 


lvi  IXTRODUCTIOiX. 


Psalm  CXXXVII. — The  hopes  of  a  revival  of  the  ancient  empire 
of  David  intensified  the  patriotic  zeal  of  the  nation.  This  feeling 
vents  itself  on  the  Edomites  who  had  joined  the  invading  hosts  of 
Nebuchadnezzar  in  that  fatal  '  day  of  Jerusalem  '  and  had  received  a 
portion  of  the  land  as  a  reward  for  their  share  in  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem.  Contrast  the  apparent  bitterness  of  this  Psalm  with  the 
comprehensive  spirit  of  the  87th  Psalm. — Four  Friends. 

Psalm  CXXXIX. — Ver.  8,  parts  of  the  sea,  indicates  that  it  was 
written  in  Palestine.  Ver.  17,  Thy  thoughts,  i.  e.,  counsels,  con- 
trivances, devisings,  divine  adaptations  of  means  to  end,  illustrated 
in  creation,  particularly  in  the  structure  of  organized  beings,  culmin- 
ating in  man. 

Psalm  CXLV.— An  Alphabetic  Psalm. 

Psalm  CXLVII. — The  rebuilding  of  Jerusalem  and  the  restoration 
of  the  ancient  ritual  had  inspired  the  nation  with  new  hopes. 


, 


EMINENT  WITNESSES  TO  THE  EXCELLENCE 
OF  THE  PSALMS. 

"This  oook  i-  the  most  heautiful  [eltgantissimus)  in  the  world." — Melancthon. 

"  These  songs,  not  in  their  divine  argument  only,  but  in  the  very  art  of  composi- 
tion, may  be  easily  made  appear  over  all  this  kind  ot  poesy  to  be  incomparaole.  ' 
—Milton. 

''What  is  there  necessary  for  man  to  know  which  the  Psalms  are  notable  to 
teach  ? '  '—Hooker. 

"The  effect  of  the  Psalms  on  the  character  of  the  Huguenots  was  wonderful. 
*      *     We   need   to-day  a  generation   nourished   on   this  marrow  of  lions."— 
Lelievre. 

"  Songs  which  like  the  Psalms  have  stood  the  test  of  three  thousand  years  may 
well  be  said  to  contain  in  them  the  seed  of  eternity." —  Tholuck. 

"  David  is  the  first  of  the  poets  of  feeling— the  king  of  lyrists,  .  .  .  Read 
Greek  or  Latin  lyrics  after  a  psalm— they  turn  pa\e."—Lamarline. 

"  The  Psalms  have  been  called  the  abstract  or  summary  of  both  Testaments." — 
M.  Henry. 

"  The  Psalms  can  make  a  life  of  trial  a  life  of  joy." — Johannes  I 'on  Miiller. 

"  Even  the  French  Deists,  the  theo-philanthropists,  sworn  enemies  of  the  Bible, 
could  only  make  out  their  liturgy  by  the  help  of  the  Psalms." — Hengstenberg. 

"  David  struck  tones  that  were  an  echo  of  the  sphere-harmonies  and  are  still  felt 
to  be  such.  *  *  Read  a  psalm  of  David,  then  go  to  the  opera,  and  hear,  with 
unspeakable  reflections,  what  things  men  now  sing."—  Thomas  Carlyle. 

"  All  the  wonders  of  Greek  civilization  heaped  together  are  less  wonderful  than 
is  the  simple  book  of  Psalms — the  history  of  the  human  soul  in  relation  to  its 
Maker." — IV.  E.  Gladstone. 

"  This  book  has  no  equal  in  the  expanse  of  time  which  it  reflects,  beginning  with 
the  wanderings  in  the  wilderness,  1450  years  before  Christ,  and  reaching  down  to 
the  building  of  the  sacred  temple,  800  years  later.  *  *  If  it  is  the  peculiarity  of 
the  classic,  that  the  oftener  it  is  read  the  more  beautiful  and  full  of  meaning  it 
becomes,  then  are  the  Psalms  classic  in  the  highest  degree."— Delitzsch. 

"  Not  only  for  its  contents  but  its  form,  is  the  use  of  the  book  of  Psalms  a  benefit 
to  the  spirit  of  man.  In  no  lyric  poet  of  Greece  or  Rome  can  we  find  so  much 
nstruction  or  comfort,  and  in  none  such  a  variety  and  rich  change  of  the  poetic 


mood.    These  flowers  can  be  carried  to  every  clime  and  every  soil,  and  they  bloom 
in  fresh  youth.    It  is  a  Book  of  Song  for  all  ages." — Herder. 

"  The  Bible  itself  is  an  old  Cremona;  it  has  been  played  upon  by  the  devotion  of 
thousands  of  years,  until  every  word  and  particle  is  public  and  tunable." — Emerson 

If  we  keep  vigil  in  the  church,  David  comes  first,  last  and  midst. — St.  John 
Chrysostom. 

"What  various  and  resplendent  riches  are  contained  in  this  treasury  (Book  of 
Psalms),  it  were  difficult  to  find  words  to  describe.  I  am  in  the  habit  of  calling 
it  '  The  Anatomy  of  all  parts  of  the  soul,'  for  not  an  affection  will  any  one  find  in 
himself,  an  image  of  which  is  not  reflected  in  this  mirror.  Nay,  all  the  griefs, 
sorrows,  fears,  misgivings,  hopes,  cares,  anxieties,  in  short,  all  the  disquieting 
emotions  with  which  the  minds  of  men  are  wont  to  be  agitated,  the  Holy  Ghost 
hath  here  pictured  to  the  life." — Calvin. 


The    Hebrew    Psalms 
in  english  verse. 


THE    PSALMS. 


o 


BOOK  I. 


PSALM     I. 

HAPPY  is  the  man  who  hath 

Not  walked  in  counsels  of  deceit  ; 

Who  stands  not  in  the  sinner's  path  ; 
Who  sits  not  in  the  scorner's  seat  ; 


2  But  in  the  statutes  of  the  Lord 

Finds  evermore  a  new  delight ; 
Feasts  on  the  sweetness  of  His  word 
In  meditation  day  and  night. 

3  Like  to  a  tree  that  's  planted  near 

Unfailing  streams  that  feed  the  root, 
Midst  foliage  that 's  never  sere, 
He  brings  forth  seasonable  fruit. 


THE  PSALMS. 

Whate'er  he  does  shall  grow  and  thrive  ; 
His  joyful  soul  shall  leap  and  laugh  : 

4  Not  so  th'  ungodly — winds  shall  drive 

Them  far  away  like  empty  chaff. 

5  They  shall  not  in  the  judgment  stand  ; 

Their  path  leads  downward  to  the  pit: 

6  But  known  of  God,  at  His  right  hand 

The  righteous  shall  in  honor  sit. 

PSALM     I  I. 

WHY  do  the  nations  rage, 
Imagine  a  vain  thing  ? 

2  The  rulers  plot  against  the  Lord 

And  His  Anointed  King? 

3  "  Let  us  break  off  their  bands, 

Their  cords,"  say  they,  "  divide." 

4  He  who  sits  high  in  heaven  shall  laugh, 

Their  vain  attempts  deride. 

5  He  speaks  to  them  in  wrath  : 

"  Though  ye  rebel,  I  still 

6  Immovably  have  set  My  King 

On  Zion's  Holy  Hill." 

7  "  I  will  declare  My  Lord's 

Unchangeable  decree — 
He  said:  '  Thou  art  My  Son,  this  day 
Have  I  begotten  Thee; 


Ill  THE  PSALMS. 

-    "  kAsk  Me,  and  I  will  give 

The  nations  for  Thine  own  ; 
And  I  will  make  earth's  utmost  bounds 
The  limits  of  Thy  throne: 

9   "    Those  that  resist  Thy  sway. 
Should  any  be  so  rash, 
With  iron  rod,  like  vessel  frail, 
Thou  shalt  in  pieces  dash.' '; 

Therefore,  be  wise,  ye  kings, 

Ye  judges  of  the  earth; 
Serve  ye  the  Lord  with  fear,  and  mix 

Much  trembling  with  your  mirth. 

O  kiss  the  Son!     Beware 
Slight  kindlings  of  His  ire, 

Lest  ye  should  perish  in  the  way 
When  once  His  wrath  takes  fire. 


PSALM     III.* 

OLORD  !  how  many  foes 
In  arms  against  me  rise  ; 
2   How  many  say  of  me,  "  No  help 
For  him  in  God  there  lies." 


*  David  having  crossed  the  Jordan,  halted  for  the  night  with  his  party  on  the 
way  to  Mahanaim  ;  and  rising  early  (recovered  now  from  his  first  depression) 
wrote,  we  may  suppose,  this  Morning  Hymn  ;  and  before  the  next  bivouac,  the 
Evening  Hymn  that  follows,  Psalm  iv.     See  Introduction. 


THE  PSALMS.  IV 

3  But  Thou,  Lord,  art  my  Shield, 

My  Glory  and  Good-will — 

4  I  called,  and  Thou  didst  answer  me 

Out  of  Thy  Holy  Hill. 

5  I  laid  me  down  and  slept, 

For  Thy  sustaining  arm 
Was  underneath  my  head  ;  I  woke 
Refreshed  and  free  from  harm. 

6  I  will  not  be  afraid 

Though  myriads  me  oppose  : 

7  Rise,  save  me,  for  Thou  smitten  hast 

On  the  cheek-bone  my  foes, 

And  broken  hast  their  teeth  : 

8  Salvation  is  from  Thee — 
Lord  !  let  Thy  blessing  evermore 

Upon  Thy  people  be. 


D 


PSALM     IV. 

ELAY  not  answer  when  I  call, 

God  of  my  righteousness  ! 

Thou  didst,  ere  this,  me  disenthrall 

When  I  was  in  distress. 
Now  pity,  Lord,  and  for  me  care, 
Incline  Thine  ear  and  hear  my  prayer. 


IV  THE  PSALMS. 

2  How  long,  ye  sons  of  men,  will  ye 

My  kingly  right  despise  ? 
How  long  will  ye  love  vanity, 
And  follow  after  lies  ? 

3  The  Lord,  who  loved*  and  set  apart, 
Will  hear  me,  for  He  knows  my  heart. 

4  O  stand  in  awe  and  fear  to  sin  ! 

With  your  own  heart  commune 
Upon  your  bed,  by  night  shut  in, 
While  silence  fills  the  room. 

5  Offer  ye  sacrifices  just, 

And  in  Jehovah  put  your  trust. 

6  Many  there  be  who  say  :     "Ah,  who 

Will  show  us  any  good  ?  " 

Light  of  Thy  face  lift  up  anew, 

And  I  '11  have  all  I  would. 

7  Their  joy  shall  not  compare  with  mine, 
Who  have  a  glut  of  corn  and  wine. 

8  In  fearless  peace  I  '11  lay  me  down, 

And  go  at  once  to  sleep  : — 
Though  slumber  deep  my  senses  drown, 

Since  Thou,  Lord,  watch  dost  keep, 
I  know  I  'm  safe  where'er  I  dwell, 
In  palace  or  in  lonely  cell. 

*  The  name  David  means  "  Beloved." 


G- 


THE  PSALMS. 

PSALM     V. 

IVE  ear  unto  my  words,  O  Lord  ! 
My  moaning  heeded  be  : 

3  To  Thee  each  morn  I  '11  duly  pray, 

And  watch  and  wait  for  Thee. 

4  For  Thou  art  not  a  God  that  hath 

In  wickedness  delight  ; 
Evil  shall  not  with  Thee  abide, 

5  The  proud  stand  in  Thy  sight. 

6  AH  evil  doers  Thou  dost  hate  ; 

Wilt  slay  them  that  speak  lies  ; 
The  bloody  and  deceitful  man 
Is  odious  in  Thine  eyes. 

7  But  in  Thy  numerous  mercies,  I 

Will  in  Thy  House  appear  ; 
And  toward  Thy  Holy  Temple,  Lord  ! 
Will  worship  in  Thy  fear. 

8  Lead  me,  O  Lord,  because  of  those 

Who  watch  to  see  me  slide  : 
Make  plain  Thy  way  before  my  face, 
Nor  let  me  turn  aside. 

9  No  truth  is  in  their  faithless  mouth, 

Wide  yawns  a  gulf  within, 
Their  throat  's  an  open  sepulchre, 
They  smooth  their  tongue  to  sin. 

io   God  !  hold  them  guilty.     Let  them  fall, 
By  their  own  counsels  felled  : 


VI  THE  PSALMS. 

In  their  transgressions  thrust  them  out, 
Who  have  'gainst  Thee  rebelled. 

ii    Let  all  be  glad  who  trust  in  thee  ; 
Be  happy  lips  unsealed  ; 

12   For  Thou  the  righteous  wilt  surround 
With  favor  as  a  shield. 


E 


PSALM     VI. 

EBUKE  me  not  in  anger,  Lord  ! 
Correct  but  not  consume  : 
Let  not  Thy  just  resentment  flame 
Give  gentle  pity  room. 


2  Have  mercy,  Lord  !  for  I  am  weak  ; 

O  heal  me  and  restore  ! 
With  anguish  all  my  bones  are  vexed, 
My  soul  is  troubled  sore. 

3  But  Thou,  O  Lord,  how  long  ?    Return 

4  My  soul  deliver  ;  make 

My  threatened  life  Thy  care  ;  me  save, 
For  Thine  own  mercies'  sake. 

5  Of  Thee  no  memory  is  in  Death, 

The  blotting  out  of  days — 
In  Sheol  who  will  give  Thee  thanks, 
Or  celebrate  Thy  praise  ? 


THE  PSALMS.  VII 

6  I  with  my  groanings  weary  am  ; 

I  make  each  night  my  bed 
A  kind  of  sea*  in  which  I  swim, 
All  drenched  with  tears  I  shed.   ■ 

7  Mine  eye  is  shrunk,  it  wastes  away 

Through  weeping  o'er  my  woes  ; 
It  prematurely  waxes  old, 
Because  of  all  my  foes. 

8  Depart  from  me,  ye  evil  men  ! 

Jehovah  is  aware 

9  Of  all  my  sighing,  and  hath  heard 

And  will  receive  my  prayer. 

io  My  foes  shall  all  confounded  be  ; 
Be  filled  with  sudden  shame  ; 
They  shall  return  in  headlong  haste 
Along  the  way  they  came. 


PSALM     VII. 

rORD  my  God,  in  Thee  I  trust, 
1     Save  from  all  those  who  pursue  me  ; 
2    Lest  that  lion-like  th'  unjust 

Rend  and  tear  me  and  undo  me  ; 
And  they  triumph  who  o  'erthrew  me, 
Lying  prostrate  in  the  dust. 

*"  Nightly  my  couch  I  make  a  kind  of  sea."— Milton, 


VII  THE  PSALMS. 

3  If,  my  God,  I  ill  have  wrought  ; 

If  my  hands  are  found  to  blame  ;* 

4  If  I  him  have  wronged  in  aught 

Who  my  friend  was  to  my  shame  ; 
If  I  rescued  not  the  same, 
Who  is  now  my  foe  for  naught  ; 

5  Let  him  then  pursue  my  soul  ; 

Overtake  it  in  its  flight ; 
Trample  it  ;  my  glory  roll 

In  the  dust  in  public  sight  ; 

I  will  not  dispute  his  right, 
But  will  justify  the  whole. 

6  Lord,  now  in  Thy  anger  rise  ; 

Lift  Thyself  against  the  rage 
Of  my  foes,  who  ill  devise, 

And  unrighteous  warfare  wage  ; 

Wake  for  me  ;  for  me  engage — 
Just  Thy  judgments  are  and  wise. 

7  Let  all  people  round  Thee  gather, 

While  Thou  speakest  from  the  sky 
Let  them  stand  and  listen — rather 
Let  them  on  their  faces  lie — 
After  this  return  on  high, 
Thou  who  art  th'  Eternal  Father. 

8  Judge  me  by  my  righteousness, 

Mine  integrity  within  : 

*  See  i  Samuel  xxiv.  n. 


IO  THE  PSALMS.  VII 

I  would  ask  nor  more  nor  less, 
Sure  I  shall  acquital  win. 
9       Make  the  sinner  cease  from  sin, 
And  his  wickedness  confess  ; 

But  establish  innocence  : 

For  Thou,  righteous  God,  dost  try 

Hearts  and  reins,  and  wilt  me,  hence, 
Vindicate  and  justify: 
io       I  on  Thee,  my  Shield,  rely — 

Th'  upright's  safety  and  defence. 

ii    God  a  just  Judge  is,  and  hath 
Indignation  every  day  : 

12  If  men  turn  not,  in  His  wrath 

He  will  whet  His  sword  to  slay  ; 

13  Bend  His  bow,  prepare  straightway 
Tools  of  death  to  sweep  His  path. 

He  His  arrows  fiery  makes, 

For  the  wretch  who  multiplies — 

14  Travailing  constantly — and  wakes 

To  conceive  iniquities, 
And  bring  forth  a  brood  of  lies, 
Hissing,  venomous  as  snakes. 

15  He  with  malice  digged  a  pit, 

And  so,  rightly  in  my  stead, 
Tumbled  headlong  into  it  ; 

16  All  the  mischief  he  has  bred 


VIII  THE  PSALMS.  1  I 

Shall  descend  on  his  own  head — 
Retribution  just  and  fit. 

17   I,  Jehovah  the  Most  High 
Will  adore  and  magnify  : 
Will  His  righteousness  proclaim, 
Harping  praises  to  His  name. 


PSALM     VIII. 

LORD,  our  Lord,  in  all  the  earth, 
How  excellent  Thy  Name  ! 
Thou  it  hast  blazoned  on  the  heavens 
In  characters  of  flame. 


O 


2  By  mouth  of  sucklings  hast  ordained 

An  armory  of  light, 
With  Truth's  celestial  weapons  stored 
To  vindicate  the  Right. 

On  weakest  things  hast  founded  strength — 

The  babes'  believing  cry — 
Because  of  foes,  to  silence  them 

Who  hate  Thee  and  deny. 

3  When  I  behold  Thy  heavens,  the  work 

Of  Thine  own  fingers,  Lord  ! 
The  moon  and  stars  which  Thou  hast  fixed 
By  Thine  almighty  word, — 


12  THE  PSALMS.  IX 

4  O  what  is  man  that  Thou  for  him 

Such  love  shouldst  manifest  ? 

Shouldst  condescend  to  visit  him 

And  be  Thy  creature's  guest  ? 

5  For  Thou  hast  made  him  next  Thyself — 

This  brother  of  the  clod — 

6  Hast  crowned  him  with  dominion  that 

Befits  a  son  of  God  : 


Hast  given  him  lordship  o'er  Thy  works, 
Put  all  things  under  him — 

7  All  flocks,  all  herds,  all  beasts,  whate  'er 

8  Doth  walk,  or  fly,  or  swim. 


9  O  Lord,  our  Lord,  in  all  the  earth 
How  excellent  Thy  Name, 
Whose  glory  in  the  heavens  is  set 
In  signature  of  flame. 


PSALM     IX. 

I  WITH  my  whole  heart  will  praise, 
And  recount  Thy  wondrous  ways  : 
Joy  in  Thee,  O  Thou  Most  High  ! 
Sing  Thy  Name  and  magnify  : 


IX  THE  PSALMS.  1 3 

3  For  my  enemies  turned  back, 
Finding  Thee  upon  their  track  ; 
At  Thy  dreadful  presence  they, 
Stumbling,  perished  in  the  way. 

4  Thou,  O  Lord,  my  right  and  cause 
Hast  maintained,  upholding  laws — 
Seated  high  upon  Thy  throne, 
Judging  righteously  alone. 

5  Thou  hast  nations  swept  away, 
Blotted  out  their  names  for  aye  : 

6  Cities,  which  Thou  hast  destroyed, 
Lost  to  memory  are  and  void. 


7  God  sits  King — earth  at  His  feet — 
Ever  on  His  judgment  seat  ; 

8  He  '11  the  peoples'  wrongs  redress, 
Judge  the  world  in  righteousness. 

9  Tower  of  refuge  for  th'  oppressed, 
A  high  tower  for  the  distressed  ; 

io  Who  Thee  know  will  in  Thee  trust, 
For  Thou  ne'er  wilt  from  Thee  thrust 

Them  that  seek  Thee,  nor  forsake 
Such  as  Thee  their  refuge  make, 
n    Sing  His  praise,  His  doings  tell, 
Who  in  Zion  loves  to  dwell. 


1 4  THE  PSALMS.  IX 

12   When  for  blood  He  shall  inquire, 
Burn  His  anger  will  like  fire  ! 
For  the  poor  man's  cry  is  not 
By  th'  Omniscient  Judge  forgot. 


13  Pity,  Lord,  whose  quickening  breath 
Raises  from  the  gates  of  death. 

See  what  sufferings  on  me  wait, 
From  the  hands  of  them  that  hate  ! 

14  Save  me,  that  Thy  praise  I  may 
In  the  gates  of  Zion  pay. 

I  will  then  with  heart  and  voice 
In  Thy  saving  health  rejoice. 


15  Sunk  are  nations  in  the  pit 
Themselves  made,  God  ordering  it— 

16  Justly  ill  their  own  foot  fared, 

In  their  own  net  caught  and  snared. 

17  Back  the  wicked  shall  be  turned, 
Reaping  the  reward  they  earned  : 
Perish  shall  in  Sheol  yet 
Nations  all  that  God  forget. 

18  For  the  needy  and  the  meek, 
Who  from  God  assistance  seek, 
Shall  not  always  be  unheard, 
Nor  their  hope  for  aye  deferred. 


THE  PSALMS. 

ig   Rise,  Lord,  let  not  man  assail 

Right's  strong  bulwarks  and  prevail. 
Nations  that  against  Thee  fight 
Let  them  judged  be  in  Thy  sight. 

20   Let  the  terror  of  Thine  arm 
Fill  their  souls  with  just  alarm  ; 
And  with  trembling  let  them  then 
Know  themselves  to  be  but  men. 


L 


PSALM     X. 

ORD,  why  standest  Thou  afar? 
Why  dost  Thou  Thyself  thus  hide  r 
From  Thy  presence  why  debar 
Those  by  hopeless  trouble  tried  ? 


2  In  his  pride  the  wicked  still 

Is  engaged  in  hot  pursuit  ; 

'Gainst  the  poor  contriving  ill, 

Ceasing  not  to  persecute. 

3  Let  his  cunning  serve  him  not. 

In  his  own  devices  caught — 
Glorying  in  plunder  got, 

God  is  banished  from  his  thought. 

Swayed  by  greed  that  God  condemns, 

He,  a  worshipper  of  gain, 
God  renounces,  yea,  contemns, 

Fuller  license  to  obtain. 


1 6  THE  PSALMS. 

4  Hear  the  boaster  proudly  say  : 

"I  've  no  fear  God  will  require  ; 
There  no  God  is  to  repay, 

I  will  have  my  heart's  desire." 

5  Always  firm  against  the  right 

He  Thy  judgments  dares  contemn 
They  're  above  him  out  of  sight — 
As  for  foes  he  puffs  at  them, 

6  Saying,  "  I  shall  ne'er  be  moved  ; 

No  calamity  I  fear." 

7  Cursing  by  his  mouth's  approved, 

Guile  and  cruelty  are  dear. 

8  He  in  hamlets  lies  in  wait  ; 

9  Like  some  savage  beast  of  prey, 
Lurks  in  ambush,  watching  late, 

Hapless  ones  to  seize  and  slay.* 

Draws  the  poor  man  in  his  net, 
io       Crushes  him  remorselessly  : 
ii   God,  he  fancies,  doth  forget — 
Hides  his  face— will  never  see. 

12   Rise,  O  Lord,  lift  up  Thy  hand  ; 
Let  the  poor  remembered  be  ; 
Let  the  proud  one  understand 
Thou  his  wickedness  dost  see. 

*See  2  Samuel  iii.  27:  xx.   10. 


XI  THE  PSALMS. 

13  Why  should  he  Thy  justice  flout  ? 

Saying,  Thou  wilt  not  require  ; 
That  Thou  seest  leave  no  doubt. 
Make  him  feel  Thy  righteous  ire. 

14  Make  him  know  't  was  at  his  cost, 

He  the  fatherless  did  harm  : 
Let  each  wicked  scheme  be  crost, 

15  Shatter  Thou  his  lifted  arm  ! 

Thorough  inquisition  make 
Of  the  evil  he  has  done — 

It  pursue  and  overtake, 
Punish  it  till  there  is  none. 

16  Sits  Jehovah  on  His  throne, 

A  just  sceptre  in  His  hand, 
All  the  nations,  overthrown, 

Perish  shall  from  out  His  Land. 

17  Thou  of  meek  hearts  art  the  stay  ; 

18  Thou  the  orphan  wilt  redress, 
That  vain  man,  a  child  of  clay, 

Henceforth  may  no  more  oppress. 


PSALM     XI. 

I  PUT  my  trust  in  God  my  King  : 
How  counsel  ye  then  dastard  flight  ? 
How  say  ye  to  my  soul,  "Take  wing, 
And  safety  seek  in  mountain  height. 


THE  PSALMS.  IX 

2  "  For  lo,  the  wicked  bend  the  bow, 

They  to  the  string  their  arrow  suit  ; 
Hid  in  the  dark,  that  none  may  know, 
They  ready  stand  at  thee  to  shoot. 

"  The  labor  of  thy  hands  is  void  ; 
In  vain  thou  dost  the  work  pursue  ; 

3  If  the  foundations  are  destroyed, 

What  can  the  righteous  man  then  do  ?  " 

4  The  Lord  is  in  His  Temple,*  why 

Should  we  take  counsel  of  despair  ? 
His  throne  is  fixed  above  the  sky, 
No  earthly  power  can  reach  it  there. 

Enough  to  know,  His  eyes  behold, 
His  eyelids  try  the  sons  of  men  — 

5  He  proves  and  purifies  the  gold, 

And  naught  deceives  his  searching  ken. 

6  Upon  the  wicked  He  shall  rain 

Snares,  fire  and  brimstone,  as  of  yore  ; 
The  portion  of  their  cup  is  pain, 
Is,  was,  and  shall  be  evermore. 

7  For  that  the  Lord  is  righteous,  He 

Loves  righteousness,  and  evil  hates  : 
The  upright  man  His  face  shall  see, — 
Immortal  honor  him  awaits. 

The  Tabernacle,  which  contained  the  Ark,  is  so  called  i  Samuel  i.  y;   iii.  3. 


XII  THE  PSALMS.  1 9 


H 


PSALM     XII. 

ELP,  Lord,  for  these  are  evil  days  ; 
The  godly  cease,  the  faithful  fail  ; 
Lone  and  deserted  are  Thy  ways, 
And  rank  impieties  prevail. 


2  All  speech  is  an  exchange  of  lies  ; 

Each  with  his  neighbor  plays  a  part  ; 
They  practice  smooth  hypocrisies, 
With  flattering  lip  and  double  heart. 

3  The  Lord  will  guileful  lips  destroy  ; 

And  tongues  that  say  in  lordly  tone, 

4  "  Who  's  over  us  ?    We  will  employ 

These  as  we  please,  they  are  our  own." 

5  ''Now,  will  I  rise,"  Jehovah  saith, 

"  For  those  they  spoil,  whose  bread   they  scant, 
Who  pine  for  safety,  fearing  death — 

And  give  them  that  for  which  they  pant." 

6  His  words  are  pure,  mean  what  they  say, 

As  silver  seven  times  purified, 

7  "  He  shall  them  keep,  though  vice  bears  sway. 

Though  strut  the  vile  in  robes  of  pride. 


20  THE  PSALMS.  XIV 

PSALM     XIII. 

HOW  long  wilt  Thou,  Lord,  me  forget  ? 
Wilt  Thou  Thy  face  forever  hide  ? 

2  How  long  shall  daily  sorrows  fret  ? 

My  foe  exalt  his  head  of  pride  ? 

3  Hear,  Lord  !  revive  my  fainting  breath, 

Lighten  mine  eyes  whose  light  has  failed, 
Now,  lest  I  sleep  the  sleep  of  death, 

4  Lest  my  foe  boast,  "I  have  prevailed." 

5  But  I  have  trusted  Thee/  and  still 

In  Thy  salvation  will  rejoice  ; 

6  And  for  Thy  bounteous  goodness  will 

Attune  to  Thee  both  heart  and  voice. 


PSALM     XIV. 

BESOTTED  pupil  in  that  school, 
The  darkened  reason  of  a  fool  ! — 
He,  proud  of  his  ancestral  clod, 
Saith  in  his  heart,   "There  is  no  God." 

No  wonder  from  such  evil  root, 
There  springs  abominable  fruit  : 
Mad  revelers  at  Nature's  feast. 
Men  grow  more  beastly  than  the  beast. 


XV  THE  PSALMS.  21 

2  The  Lord  looked  down  from  heaven  to  see 
If  any  bowed  to  Him  the  knee  ; 

If  there  were  any  understood, 

And  there  was  none,  none  that  did  good. 

3  They  all  had  gone  aside,  all  had 
Become  corrupt  and  wholly  bad. 

4  Are  evil-doers  void  of  sense 
As  well  as  of  all  innocence  ? 

They,  like  wild  beasts  with  ravin  red, 
My  people  eat  as  they  eat  bread  ; 
They  on  the  Lord  disdain  to  call — 

5  But,  lo,  great  tremblings  on  them  fall. 

For  God,  now  with  the  righteous  seen, 
His  arm  laid  bare,  doth  intervene  ; 

6  And  counsels,  that  were  put  to  shame, 
Are  made  triumphant  in  His  Name. 

7  O  that  salvation  might  with  power 
Come  out  of  Zion  at  this  hour  ! 

When  back  from  thraldom  God  shall  bring, 
Then  Jacob  shall  exult  and  sing. 


W 


PSALM     XV. 

HO  shall  inhabit,  Lord,  Thy  Tent  ? 
How  nobly  born  ?    Of  what  descent  ? 
Who  in  Thy  Holy  Mount  abide, 
To  what  imperial  race  allied  ? 


22  THE  PSALMS.  XVT 

Not  to  the  great  ones  of  the  earth, 
Of  princely  blood,  of  royal  birth  ; 
Not  to  the  haughty  and  the  proud, 
Is  this  high  privilege  allowed. 

2  But  he  who  walks  uprightly  here, 

Whose  words  are  true,  whose  heart 's  sincere, 
With  slanderous  tongue  does  not  offend, 
Basely  betray  or  wrong  a  friend  ; 

3  Aids  not  his  neighbor  to  defame  ; 

4  Who  towards  the  vile  feels  only  shame, 
But  honors  those  that  fear  the  Lord  ; 
Swears  to  his  hurt  and  keeps  his  word  ; 

5  Makes  no  hard  terms  for  money  lent  ; 
No  bribes  takes  'gainst  the  innocent — 
Who  does  these  things,  he  enter  may 
God's  House,  and  permanently  stay. 


PSALM    XVI. 

PRESERVE  me,  for  in  Thee  I  trust, 
I  said  :   "  My  God  Thou  art  ; 

2  My  good,  my  only  good,  I  have 

No  good  from  Thee  apart, 

3  Ev'n  as  Thy  saints,  the  excellent 

In  whom  is  my  delight." 

4  Their  sorrows  shall  be  many  who 

With  other  gods  unite  : 


XVI  THE  P S.U.MS.  23 

I  their  drink-offerings  of  blood 

Will  not  pour  out  ;   nor  take 
Their  hateful  names  upon  my  lips, 

Nor  mention  of  them  make. 

5   The  Lord  the  portion  is  of  my 
Inheritance  and  cup: 
His  favors  are  so  numerous, 
I  cannot  count  them  up. 

Thou  wilt  maintain  my  lot — my  lines 

In  pleasant  places  fall: 
A  goodly  heritage  have  I 

For,  having  Thee,  have  all. 

7   I  bless  the  Lord  Who  counsels  me  ; 
At  night  when  I  awake, 
I  hear  Him  whisper  in  the  dark 
Words  that  me  wiser  make. 

S   The  Lord  is  always  in  my  sight — 

With  Him  at  my  right  hand, 
g   I  never  shall  be  moved,  therefore, 

Glad  thoughts  my  heart  expand. 

10  My  flesh  shall  dwell  secure,  my  soul 
Not  left  to  Sheol  be  :— 
Thou  wilt  not  let  Thy  Holy  One 
The  least  corruption  see. 


24  THE  PSALMS,  XVII 

Thou  wilt  me  show  the  path  of  life  ! 

I  '11  to  Thy  presence  soar, 
Where  there  is  fullness  of  all  joy — 

Pleasures  forevermore. 


PSALM     XVII. 

EAR  Thou  the  right,  O  God  ! 
Unjustly  I'm  arraigned  : 
Sit  judge,  and  listen  to  my  prayer, 
That  comes  from  lips  unfeigned. 


H 


2  I  make  petition,  let 

My  sentence  come  from  Thee  : 
And  let  Thine  eyes  behold  what  things 
Belong  to  equity. 

3  Thou  hast  my  heart  oft  proved  ; 

Hast  come  to  me  at  night, 
Hast  tried  me,  and  hast  nothing  found 
At  variance  with  right. 

4  As  for  the  works  of  men, 

I,  governed  by  Thy  word, 
Have  kept  myself  aloof,  and  been 
From  violence  deterred  : 

5  Have  held  fast  to  Thy  paths  ; 

My  feet  have  firmly  stood  : 

6  Incline,  O  God,  Thine  ear  to  me, 

And  hear,  for  Thou  art  good. 


XVII  THE  PSALMS.  2$ 

7  Thy  wondrous  kindness  show, 

O  Thou  who  savest  those 
That  put  their  trust  in  Thee  from  all 
Who  rise  up  and  oppose  ! 

8  O  guard  me,  keep  me  as 

The  apple  of  the  eye  ; 
Under  the  shadow  of  Thy  wings, 
Let  me  for  shelter  fly, 

9  From  deadly  foes  that  spoil 

And  compass  me  around — 
io  They  proudly  speak,  they  watch  each  step 
ii        To  hurl  me  to  the  ground. 

12  He  like  a  lion  is, 

That 's  greedy  for  his  prey — 
Like  a  young  lion  that  lies  hid 
Along  the  public  way. 

13  Arise,  O  Lord,  confront, 

Cast  down  and  overthrow  ! 
Deliver  by  Thy  sword  and  hand 
From  the  ungodly  foe, — 

14  From  men  whose  portion  's  here, 

Whose  cravings  Thou  dost  fill, 
Who  live,  enjoy,  and  what  is  left 
They  to  their  children  will. 


2 


26 


THE  PSALMS. 


XVIII 


15   As  for  myself,  Thy  face, 

In  righteousness  I  '11  see  ; 
And  when  I  with  Thy  likeness  wake 
I  satisfied  shall  be. 


PSALM     XVIII. 

I  LOVE  Thee,  Lord  !  my  Strength, 
My  Fortress  and  High  Tower  ; 

2  To  Thee,  my  Rock,  my  Shield,  my  Trust, 

3  I  fly  in  danger's  hour. 

5  The  snares  of  death  and  hell 

Around  my  feet  were  spread  ; 

4  And  floods  of  wickedness  rose  high, 

And  filled  my  soul  with  dread. 

6  I  called  upon  the  Lord 

In  my  extreme  distress  ; 
He  heard  my  voice,  and  came  attired 
In  robes  of  righteousness. 

7  Trembled  the  earth  and  shook, 

By  mighty  terror  seized  ; 
The  mountains'  deep  foundations  quaked, 
Because  He  was  displeased. 

8  His  nostrils  issued  smoke, 

His  mouth  devouring  fire, 
And  glowing  coals  were  kindled  by 
The  hotness  of  His  ire. 


win  THE  psalms.  2; 

g   He  bowed  the  heaven  of  heavens, 
In  gloomy  pomp  came  down  ; 
Thick  darkness  was  beneath  His  feet, 
But  darker  was  His  frown. 

10   He  on  a  cherub*  rode, 

He  on  the  swift  winds  flew, 
ii    He  darkness  made  His  hiding-place 

That  no  eye  could  pierce  through. 

Dark  waters  and  thick  clouds 
Were  round  about  Him  cast, 

12  Then  at  the  brightness  of  His  face 

The  charged  clouds  bursting  passed. 

13  He  thundered  in  the  heavens, 

The  Highest  gave  His  voice  ; 

14  His  lightnings  scattered  them  who  vexed 

The  person  of  His  choice. 


*The  prevalent  notion,  that  by  Cherubim  is  meant  a  superior  order  of  Celestial 
Intelligences,  finds  more  support,  it  is  safe  to  say,  in  Paradise  Lost  than  in  the 
Scriptures.  In  view  of  the  description  there  given  it  seems  surprising  that  any 
one  should  ever  have  been  in  doubt  as  to  their  purely  symbolic  character;  for 
while  as  real  beings  they  would  be  judged  monstrous  and  impossible,  understood 
as  simply  hieroglyphical  and  pictorially  illustrative,  all  difficulties  vanish,  and  we 
are  delighted  to  see  how  luminous  the  name  becomes  studied  in  its  true  meaning. 
In  the  present  Psalm,  verse  10,  we  read:  "And  He  rode  upon  a  Cherub  and  did 
Jiy,  yea.  He  did  /ly  upon  the  wings  of  the  windy  Here  the  Cherub  is  made  ex- 
pressly identical  with  the  swift  wind.  While  the  term  is  used  in  this  place  in  the 
singular  number,  and  with  a  limited  meaning,  it  furnishes,  we  venture  to  think, 
a  reliable  clue  to  the  right  interpretation  of  the  symbol  in  its  more  complex  form, 
as  the  mystic  tetramorph,  described  by  Ezekiel  —  the  four-faced,  four-winged 
Cherubim,  every  part  covered  with  eyes— with  accompanying  revolving  wheels, 
suggestive  of   rapid  circular  movement,   orbit  within  orbit,  exemplified  in   the 


28  THE  PSALMS.  XVIII 

15  At  Thy  rebuke,  O  Lord  ! 

The  seas'  deep  bed  appeared  ; 
The  world's  foundations  were  laid  bare 
And  all  Creation  feared. 

16  He  reached  down  and  me  drew 

From  whelming  waters  great  — 

17  He  rescued  me  from  my  strong  foe 

And  them  that  did  me  hate. 

They  mightier  were  than  I, 
iS       And  met  me  in  the  day 
Of  my  calamity  ;  but  then, 
Jehovah  was  my  stay. 

19   He  also  brought  me  forth  ; 
And  by  his  arm  of  might 
He  rescued  me,  because  I  was 
The  child  of  His  delight. 


planetary  system.  It  is  but  the  extension  of  a  part  to  the  whole  to  make  this  many- 
sided  figure  comprehensive  not  of  the  wind  only,  otherwise  the  Air,  constituting 
one  of  the  Elements  of  Nature,  but  the  whole  Four,  and  God  immanent  in  them 
all.  If  this  view  be  correct,  by  Cherubim  would  be  meant,  what  in  modern  speech 
is  called  Nature,  having  respect  to  all  the  aspects  of  its  unerring  perfect  four- 
sidedness;  otherwise  known  as  the  Universe,  Laws  of  the  Universe — the  whole 
cosmic  array  of  Secondary  Causes— Force  in  its  endless  manifestations — embrac- 
ing all  ministerial  agencies,  every  thing,  in  fact,  that  belongs  (to  use  the  lan- 
guage of  Milton)  to  'the  throne  and  equipage  of  God's  almightiness,  and  what 
He  works  and  what  He  suffers  to  be  wrought  with  high  providence  in  His 
Church.'  Placed  over  the  Sacred  Chest  which  contained  the  Decalogue,  the  lid 
forming  the  Mercy  Seat,  the  same  mysterious  symbol  is  seen  under  a  more  simple 
form — two  Cherubim  keeping  guard  over  the  Law  to  preserve  its  sanctity,  while 
God  is  spoken  of  as  enthroned  between  or  above  them  in  token  of  His  supremacy 
over  all  creatures  and  created  things.  The  bi-formed  Pan  [the  All]  half  beast, 
half  man,  as  conceived  by  the  Greeks,  representing  the  universal  frame  of  things, 
or  Nature,  is  a  figure  of  the  same  kind,  but  far  less  rich  and  significant. 


XVIII  THE  PSALMS.  2 9 

20  After  my  righteousness. 

He  did  reward  dispense  ; 
After  the  cleanness  of  my  hands, 
He  did  me  recompense. 

21  For  I  have  kept  His  ways  ; 

And  have  not  wickedly 
Departed  from  my  God,  who  is 
My  sole  felicity. 

22  For  all  His  judgments  were 

Before  me  night  and  day  ; 

23  I  kept  His  statutes  perfectly, 

Not  putting  them  away. 

24  After  my  righteousness, 

The  Lord  did  me  requite  ; 
After  the  cleanness  of  my  hands 
In  His  omniscient  sight. 

25  Thou  to  the  merciful 

Wilt  make  Thy  mercy  sure  ; 

Wilt  with  the  upright  upright  be, 

And  pure  be  with  the  pure  ; 

26  Thou  too  wilt  show  Thyself 

Froward  to  frowardness  ; 

27  For  while  Thou  dost  resist  the  proud, 

The  lowly  Thou  dost  bless. 


30  THE  PSALMS.  XVIII 

28  For  Thou  wilt  light  my  lamp, 

Disperse  my  darkness  deep  ; 

29  By  Thee  I  can  run  through  a  troop, 

By  Thee  a  wall  o'erleap. 

30  Most  perfect  is  God's  way, 

His  word  is  sure  and  tried  ; 
He  is  a  buckler  to  all  those 
Who  in  His  Name  confide. 

31  The  Lord  alone  is  God, 

There  is  no  other  Rock  ;     • 

32  He  girds  with  strength,  He  suffers  naught 

My  perfect  way  to  block  ; 

33  My  feet,  like  hinds'  feet,  makes 

To  dizzy  heights  ascend  ; 

34  My  hands  He  teaches  how  to  war, 

The  bow  of  brass  to  bend. 

35  Thou  hast  to  me  the  shield 

Of  Thy  salvation  given  ; 
And  Thy  right  hand  hath  held  me  up 
And  disciplined  for  Heaven. 


36  Thou  hast  enlarged  my  steps, 

My  free  feet  have  not  slipped  ; 

37  I  will  pursue  and  overtake, 

Of  every  hindrance  stripped, 


XVIII  THE  PSALMS.  3 1 

And  will  not  turn  again, 
Until  the  smitten  foe 
3S   Shall  fall  beneath  my  conquering  arm- 
Be  utterly  laid  low. 

39  For  to  the  battle  Thou 

Hast  girded  me  with  might  ; 

40  And  made  th'  insurgents  turn  their  backs 

In  ignominious  flight. 

41  They  cried  aloud  for  help, 

But  there  was  none  to  save  ; 
Ev'n  to  the  Lord  they  cried,  but  He 
No  answer  to  them  gave. 

42  Then  did  I  beat  them  small  ; 

Away  I  made  them  fleet 
As  dust  wind-driven,  I  cast  them  out 
As  the  mire  of  the  street. 

43  Thou  from  the  people's  strifes 

Hast  freed  me,  and  me  made 

44  Head  of  the  nations — homage  shall 

By  strangers  be  me  paid. 

45  Those  whom  I  have  not  known 

Shall  hasten  to  obey  ; 
They  shall  submit  themselves  to  me, 
And  fear  and  fade  away. 


32  THE  PSALMS.  XIX 

46  Jehovah  lives,  my  Rock  ; 

Let  Him  exalted  be  ! 

47  The  God  of  my  salvation,  who 

48  Avenged  and  rescued  me. 

49  Therefore  will  I  give  thanks, 

And  will  His  praises  sing, 

50  Who  wrought  this  great  deliverance 

For  His  anointed  King. 

PSALM     XIX. 

THE  rolling  skies  with  lips  of  flame 
Their  Maker's  power  and  skill  proclaim  : 

2  Day  speaks  to  day,  and  night  to  night 
Shows  knowledge  writ  in  beams  of  light. 

3  And  though  no  voice,  no  spoken  word 
Can  by  the  outward  ear  be  heard, 

4  The  witness  of  a  travelling  sound 
Reverberates  the  world  around. 

In  the  bright  east  with  gold  enriched 
He  for  the  sun  a  tent  has  pitched, 

5  That,  like  a  bridegroom  after  rest, 
Comes  from  his  chamber  richly  drest, 
An  athlete  strong  and  full  of  grace, 
And  glad  to  run  the  heavenly  race, — 

6  Completes  his  round  with  tireless  feet, 
And  naught  is  hidden  from  his  heat. 


XIX  THE  PSALMS.  33 

7  But,  Nature's  book  sums  not  the  whole  : 
God's  perfect  law  converts  the  soul  ; 

I  lis  sure  unerring  word  supplies 
The  means  to  make  the  simple  wise  ; 

8  His  precepts  are  divinely  right, 
An  inspiration  and  delight  ; 

His  pure  commandment  makes  all  clear, 

9  Clean  and  enduring  in  His  fear. 

The  judgments  of  the  Lord  are  true, 

And  righteous  wholly  through  and  through  ; 

10  More  to  be  coveted  than  gold, 

Of  higher  worth  a  thousand  fold  ; 
More  sweet  than  sweetest  honey  far, 
Th'  unfoldings  of  their  sweetness  are  : 

11  They  warn  Thy  servant,  and  they  guard  ; 
In  keeping  them  there  's  great  reward. 

12  Who  can  his  errors  understand? 
My  secret  faults  are  as  the  sand  : 

From  these  me  cleanse,  make  pure  within, 

13  And  keep  me  from  presumptuous  sin  ; 
Lest  sin  me  rule  and  fetter  fast, 

And  I  unpardoned  die  at  last. 

14  My  words  and  meditation  be 

O  Lord,  my  Rock,  approved  of  Thee. 


34  THE  PSALMS.  XX 

PSALM    XX. 


M 


AY  God  thee  answer  in  the  day 
Of  battle-peril  and  of  need  ! 
The  God  of  Jacob  thee  upstay, 
And  out  of  Zion  help  proceed  ! 


3  Have  to  thy  offerings  due  regard  ; 

Of  thy  pure  zeal  be  mindful  still  ; 

4  Thy  pious  faithfulness  reward, 

And  all  thy  purposes  fulfil  ! 

5  We'll  praise  thee,  victor  in  the  fight, 

And  God  too,  who  for  thee  contests  ; 
And  on  our  loyal  banners  write  : 
"  The  Lord  fulfil  all  thy  requests." 

6  The  Lord  doth  His  Anointed  save, 

I  know,  with  a  salvation  grand  ; 
Ev'n  while  He  asked,  God  answer  gave — 
The  saving  strength  of  His  right  hand. 

7  While  some  in  mounted  horses  trust, 

And  some  in  chariots  of  war, 
In  God,  and  in  a  cause  that 's  just, 
Our  confidence  is  greater  far. 

S   And  justly  so  ;  for  while  they  lie 

O'erthrown  and  prostrate  and  deject, 
Or  panic-stricken  wildly  fly, 
We  risen  are  and  stand  erect. 


XXI  THE  PSA  I.MS.  35 

9  Jehovah,  save  !  God  save  the  King  ! 
Let  the  King  hear  us  when  we  call  ! 
Hosanna  !  God's  high  praise  we  sing, 
By  whom  the  nations  rise  or  fall. 

PSALM    XXI. 

THE  King  shall  in  Thy  strength  rejoice, 
And  Thy  salvation,  Lord  ! 

2  The  fullness  of  his  heart's  desire 

Thou  hast  to  him  outpoured. 

3  With  gifts  and  blessings  infinite, 

Thou  goest  him  before, 
Forestalling  all  his  large  requests 
And  giving  him  yet  more. 

A  crown  of  purest  gold,  Thy  gift, 
Doth  on  his  forehead  blaze  ; 

4  He  asking  life,  Thou  gav'st  it  him, 

Ev'n  endless  length  of  days. 

5  Thou  dost  on  him  high  honor  lay, 

Great  majesty  and  might, 

6  For  Thou  most  blessed  makest  him 

Forever  in  Thy  sight. 

And  Thou  appointest  him  to  be 

A  blessing  to  the  race  ; 
Dost  gladden  him  with  gladness  found 

Nowhere  but  in  Thy  face. 


36  THE  PSALMS.  XXII 

7  For  the  King  trusted  in  the  Lord, 

And  he  unmoved  shall  stand  : 

8  Against  all  those  who  bear  Thee  hate 

Thou  wilt  display  Thy  hand. 

9  Like  to  a  flaming  furnace  Thou 

Wilt  make  them  in  that  hour  ; 
God  shall  them  swallow  up  in  wrath, 
A  fire  shall  them  devour. 

io  Their  seed  shall  perish  from  the  earth, 
ii        For  their  intended  ill — 

The  plot  which  they  devised,  they  are 
Not  able  to  fulfill. 

12  For  Thou  Thy  bowstrings  wilt  prepare, 

And  wilt  them  put  to  flight  : 

13  Be,  Lord,  exalted  in  Thy  strength, 

So  we  will  harp  Thy  might  ! 


PSALM     XXII. 

Y  God,  my  God,  O  why 
Hast  Thou  forsaken  me  ? 
My  cry  sounds  shrill  throughout  alone 
And  dark  eternity. 


M 


One  moment  seems  an  age, 

Mid  this  desertion  drear  ; 
The  empty  heavens  receive  my  prayer, 

But  there  is  none  to  hear. 


XXII  THE  PSALMS.  3; 

2  I  in  the  daytime  call, 

My  calling  is  in  vain  ; 
I  am  not  silent  in  the  night, 
But  yet  no  help  obtain. 

3  But  Thou  most  holy  art — 

Amid  the  praises  throned 

4  Of  Israel,  who  trusted  Thee, 

5  And  never  was  disowned. 

6  A  worm,  and  not  a  man, 

Reproach  I  on  me  draw — 

7  All  they  that  see  me  wag  their  head, 

And,  mocking,  cry  :  "  Ha  !  ha  ! 

8  "  He  trusted  in  the  Lord, 

That  He  would  him  befriend — 
Let  Him,  since  He  in  him  delights, 
Deliverance  extend." 

9  But  from  my  birth  Thou  hast 

Thy  love  and  care  expressed  , 
And  madest  me  to  trust,  when   I 
Was  on  my  mother's  breast. 

10  Thou  art  my  Father,  God, 

My  stay,  my  only  one — 

11  O  be  not  far,  for  trouble  's  neai  . 

And  helper  there  is  none. 


38  THE  rSALMS.  XXII 

12  O  many  bulls,  strong  bulls 

Of  Bashan,  hem  me  round  ; 

13  They  gape  on  me,  and,  lion-like, 

They  roar  and  tear  the  ground. 

14  Like  water  I  'm  poured  out  ; 

My  bones  are  drawn  apart  ; 
Like  melted  wax  within  my  breast 
Is  my  dissolving  heart. 

15  My  strength  is  all  dried  up  ; 

Fierce  thirst  inflames  my  breath  ; 
My  tongue  is  fastened  to  my  jaws, 
And  I  am  nigh  to  death. 

16  Round  me  a  barking  crowd 

Of  evil-doers  meet — 
With  murderous  and  cruel  nails 
They  pierce  my  hands  and  feet  ; 

17  They  on  my  anguish  gloat  ; 

18  My  garments,  at  the  last, 

They  part  among  them,  and  they  lots 
Upon  my  vesture  cast. 

19  Haste  to  my  help,  my  Strength  ! 

Cast  off  each  cruel  clog — 

20  My  soul  deliver  from  the  sword, 

My  darling*  from  the  dog  ; 

*  Literally,  My  only  one,  i.  e.,  My  dear  life,  my  soul — Macbeth's  "  mine  eternal 
jewel." 


XXII  77/ E  PSALMS.  39 

21  Save  from  the  lion's  mouth  ! — 

I  made  my  prayer  to  Thee, 
And  from  the  horns  of  th'  unicorns 
Thou,  Lord,  hast  answered  me. 

22  The  agony  is  o'er, 

The  triumph  is  complete  : 
I  to  my  brethren  will  declare 
Thy  Name  and  praises  sweet.* 


23  Praise  Him,  all  ye  that  fear 

Jehovah,  the  Most  High — 
Ye  Jacob's  seed,  ye  Israel's, 
Fear  Him  and  glorify  ! 

24  For  He  did  not  despise, 

Abhor  as  others  did  ; 
But  heard  the  Sufferer  when  he  cried, 
E'en  when  His  face  seemed  hid. 


*  One  who  appreciates  the  dramatic  structure  of  many  of  the  Psalms,  will  have 
no  difficulty  in  ascribing  the  great  difference  of  tone  which  characterizes  differ- 
ent portions  of  the  same  psalm  to  a  change  of  speakers.  Take  Psalm  69  for  an 
example.  The  imprecatory  language  of  verses  22-28  is  so  out  of  keeping  with 
what  precedes  and  follows  that  one  is  forced  to  refer  it  to  another  speaker.  Com- 
ing from  the  mouth  of  a  sympathizing  and  indignant  spectator  of  the  fiendish 
cruelty  practised  on  patient  innocence,  all  seems  natural  and  proper.  Such  an 
one  would  answer  exactly  to  the  Chorus  of  the  Greek  Drama,  offering  his  com- 
ment, favorable  or  otherwise,  on  what  is  passing.  In  the  present  Psalm,  the  an- 
ticipatory wail  of  the  predicted  Messiah,  hanging  on  the  Cross,  reaches  to  verse 
22.  All  that  follows  might  properly  proceed  from  the  supposed  Chorus  repre- 
senting the  whole  body  of  the  faithful.  See  Milton's  "  Samson  Agonistes  "  fur  an 
illustration  of  the  office  of  the  Chorus;  also  Shakespeare's  "  Henry  V." 


40  THE  PSALMS.  XXII 

25  My  praise  shall  be  of  Him  ; 

I  '11  in  th'  assembly  great 
Of  those  that  fear  Him,  pay  my  vows, 
And  myself  consecrate. 

26  The  meek  shall  freely  eat, 

He  full  supply  will  give  : 
Who  seek  the  Lord  they  Him  shall  praise  : 
*  Your  heart  forever  live  ! ' 

27  The  farthest  ends  of  earth 

Shall  all  return  to  Thee  — 
All  kindreds  of  the  nations  shall 
Before  Thee  bow  the  knee. 

28  For  His  the  kingdom  is  ; 

His  right  it  is  to  sit 
Ruler  among  the  nations,  men 
To  bless  and  benefit. 

29  The  opulent  shall  eat 

And  worship  ;  and  the  poor, 
That  cannot  keep  his  soul  alive, 
Find  his  provision  sure. 

30  The  unborn  Him  shall  serve, 

And  sire  shall  tell  to  son 
How_faithfully  His  promises 
He  hath  observed  and  done. 


XXIII  THE  PSALMS.  4 1 

PSALM    XXIII. 

THE  Lord  my  Shepherd  is, 
He  satisfies  my  needs  ; 
In  pastures  green  He  makes  me  lie — 
By  restful  waters  leads. 

My  sinking  soul  revives, 

When  faint  and  spiritless  ; 
For  His  Name's  sake  He  guides  my  feet 

In  paths  of  righteousness. 

Though  in  the  deep  dark  gorge 

I  walk,  I  will  not  fear, 
For  through  the  death-shade  black  as  night 

Thy  crook  and  presence  cheer. 

Thou  hast  a  table  spread 

For  me,  in  sight  of  foes  ; 
My  head  anointed  hast  with  oil, 

My  cup  of  good  o'erflows. 

Goodness  and  mercy  still 

Shall  surely  follow  me, 
And  in  Thy  House*  will  I  abide 

Forever,  Lord,  with  Thee. 


*If  it  be  assumed  that  this  was  r  ne  of  David's  earlier  cc  rrpositif  ns,  as  the  Tem- 
ple was  not  yet  built,  it  follows,  that  by  "  the  House  of  the  Lord  "  in  this  place  is 
meant  no  particular  building— not  the  Tabernacle  even— but  that,  in  the  estima- 
tion of  the  Psalmist,  any  place,  mountain  cave  or  bit  of  green  sward,  hallowed 
by  the  Divine  Presence,  is  a  veritable  Bethel — House  of  G».d. 


42  THE  PSALMS.  XXIV 

SECOND    VERSION. 

THE  Lord  is  my  Shepherd,  I  never  shall  want  ; 
Since  He  is  my  Keeper,  no  danger  shall  daunt  ; 
He  makes  me  lie  down  in  green  pastures,  and  leads 
By  the  soft-sliding  waters  that  gladden  the  meads. 

He  refreshes  my  soul  ;  and  in  faithfulness  sweet 
Guides  rightly  my  silly  and  ignorant  feet  : 
Through  the  gloom  of  the  glen  I  will  walk  without  fear. 
For  my  Shepherd  is  with  me  to  lighten  and  cheer. 

Thou  prepar'st  me  a  feast  in  the  face  of  my  foes, 
My  head  Thou  anointest,  my  cup  overflows  : 
Surely  goodness  shall  follow  my  steps  all  my  days 
And  I'll  dwell  in  Thy  House,  and  my  life  spend  in  praise. 

PSALM    XXIV. 

JEHOVAH'S  right  to  all  extends  ; 
He  made,  and  all  upholds  as  well — 
The  earth  with  all  it  comprehends  ; 

The  world  and  all  that  therein  dwell  — 

2  He  founded  it  upon  the  seas, 
And  stablished  it  by  firm  decrees. 

3  Who  shall  ascend  into  His  Hill  ? 

Who  stand  within  His  Holy  Place? 

4  He  with  clean  hands,  pure  heart  and  will, 

Who  does  not  stoop  to  actions  base  ; 
Who  not  deceitfully  has  sworn, 
But  holds  all  lying  arts  in  scorn. 


XXV  7  HE  PSALMS.  43 

5  He  blessings  shall  from  God  receive — 

Dear  pledges  of  His  saving  grace  : 
The  God  of  Truth  will  not  deceive 
Those  who  sincerely  seek  His  face — 

6  The  sons  of  Jacob  who  inquire, 
God's  chosen,  shall  have  their  desire. 

;   Lift  up  your  heads,  ye  ancient  gates  ! 
Ye  everlasting  doors,  give  way  ! 
For  lo  !  the  King  of  Glory  waits, 
And  means  to  enter  in  to-day. 

8  "  Who  is  this  King  of  Glory  ?     Who  ?  " 

Jehovah,  mighty  to  subdue. 

9  Lift  up  your  heads,  ye  ancient  gates  ! 

Ye  everlasting  doors,  give  way  ! 
For  lo  !  the  King  of  Glory  waits, 
And  means  to  enter  in  to-day. 
io   "  Who  is  this  King  of  Glory,  then  ?  " 
The  Lord  of  angels  and  of  men. 


PSALM     X  X  V  . 

TO  Thee  I  lift  my  soul — 
My  God,  I  trust  in  Thee  ; 
Let  me  not  be  ashamed,  let  not 
My  foes  exult  o'er  me. 


44  THE  PSALMS.  XXV 

3  Let  none  who  on  Thee  wait 

In  praying  humbleness, 
Be  e'er  ashamed,  but  only  those 
Who  causelessly  trangress. 

4  Show  me  Thy  paths,  O  Lord  ! 

5  Instruct  me  in  Thy  way  : 
Great  God  of  my  Salvation,  I 

On  Thee  wait  all  the  day. 

6  Thy  tender  mercies,  Lord, 

Have  ever  been  of  old  : 

7  Remember  not  my  youthful  sins 

And  follies  manifold. 

S   The  Lord  I  know  is  good 

And  upright  ;     He  will  teach 
Sinners,  who  seek  the  right  to  know, 
And  guidance  give  to  each  ; 

9  The  lowly  and  the  meek 

Will  lovingly  direct  : 
ro   Mercy  and  truth  are  unto  such 
As  His  commands  respect. 

ir    For  Thy  Name's  sake,  O  Lord  ! 
Who  only  canst  forgive, 
Pardon  my  guilt,  for  it  is  great, 
And  let  the  culprit  live. 


XXV  THE  PSALMS.  45 

12  What  man  doth  fear  the  Lord  ? 

13  He,  though  of  humble  birth, 

Shall  dwell  at  ease,  and  his  meek  soul 
Inherit  shall  the  earth. 

14  The  secret  of  the  Lord 

With  them  that  fear  Him  is  ; 
He  will  them  show  His  covenant, 
And  honor  them  as  His. 

15  Mine  eyes  are  toward  the  Lord, 

In  confidence  that  He 
Will  pluck  my  feet  out  of  the  net 
The  fowler  spread  fur  me. 

16  Have  mercy  on  me,  Lord, 

For  desolate  I  grieve  ; 

17  My  troubles  are  enlarged,  do  Thou 

My  countless  woes  relieve, 

iS   And  pardon  all  my  sins  ; 
Regard  my  sad  estate  ; 

19  My  foes  are  many,  and  they  me 

With  cruel  hatred  hate. 

20  O  keep  my  soul  from  shame  ; 

I  put  my  trust  in  Thee  ; 

21  Let  my  uprightness  me  preserve, 

And  my  integrity. 


46  THE  rSALMS.  XXVI 

22   Since  all  who  wait  on  Thee 
Thou  holdest  in  esteem, 
From  all  his  troubles  do  Thou,  Lord, 
Thine  Israel  redeem. 

PSALM    XXVI. 

JUDGE  me,  O  Lord  !  to  Thee  I  dare 
In  my  integrity  appeal  : 
I  lay  my  inmost  bosom  bare, 
Attempting  nothing  to  conceal. 

In  all  uprightness  I  have  walked, 
And  have  not  wavered  in  my  trust  : 

Bear  witness  if  I've  vainly  talked, 
Have  been  injurious  or  unjust. 

2  Examine  me,  O  God  !  and  try  : 

I  welcome  so  supreme  a  test 
As  the  inspection  of  Thine  eye, 

Searching  the  secrets  of  my  breast. 

3  Thy  mercy  is  before  mine  eyes, 

And  from  Thy  truth  I  have  not  strayed  ; 

4  I  have  not  sat  with  men  of  lies, 

5  Nor  friendships  with  dissemblers  made. 

6  I  '11  wash  my  hands  in  innocence, 

And  so  Thine  altar  will  surround  ; 

7  With  love  and  thankfulness  intense 

I  will  Thy  wondrous  works  resound. 


XXVII  THE  PS. if. MS.  4/ 

8    I  love  Thy  Habitation,  Lord  ! 

The  Place  where  doth  Thy  Glory*  dwell, 
Whence  Thou  dost  saving  help  afford 
To  Thine  afflicted  Israel. 

g   Gather  me  not  with  men  of  blood  ; 
io       Mischief  and  bribes  are  in  their  hand  :  — 
ir    But  as  for  me,  I  with  the  good 

Will  walk  uprightly  in  the  Land. 

Redeem  me,  Lord,  and  show  me  grace, 
Confirm  me  in  my  righteousness  ! 
12    My  foot  stands  in  an  even  place  ; 

Thee  in  th'  assemblies  I  will  bless. 

PSALM    XXVII. 

THE  Lord  my  Saviour  is,  and  Light  ; 
Whom  should  I  fear  with  Him  to  aid  ? 
My  life's  stronghold  and  secret  might  ; — 
What  cause  have  I  to  be  afraid  ? 

2  When  like  some  hungry  beast  of  prey, 

My  foes  came  on  me  to  devour, 
They  stumbled,  fell — and  snatched  away 
I  live  unhurt  until  this  hour. 

3  Not  though  a  host  'gainst  me  encamp, 

And  war  its  ugly  front  uprear, 
Shall  this  my  trust  or  courage  damp, 
Or  cowardize  my  heart  with  fear. 

*  The  Shekinah. 


48  THE  PSALMS.  XXVII 

4  One  thing  I  greatly  have  desired, 

For  which  I  will  not  cease  to  pray, 
That  I,  from  scenes  of  strife  retired, 
Of  battle  fierce  and  bloody  fray, 

In  the  Lord's  House  may  dwell  in  peace 
All  my  life  long,  with  ravished  eyes 

His  beauty  to  behold,  nor  cease 

To  ask  of  Him  and  grow  more  wise. 

5  In  time  of  trouble,  He'll  me  hide 

In  His  pavilion  strong  and  safe  ; 
He  to  a  rock  my  feet  shall  guide 

6  High  o'er  my  foes  that  vainly  chafe. 

I  '11  in  His  Tabernacle  make 

Offerings  of  joy  with  trumpet  sound  ; 

His  praises  loudly  sing,  and  wake 
Melodious  echoes  all  around. 


7  Hear  me,  O  Lord  !     When  Thou  didst  deign, 

8  Those  words,  "  Seek  ye  My  Face,"  to  speak, 
My  grateful  heart  in  contrite  pain 

Replied,  "Thy  Face,  Lord,  will  I  seek." 

9  Hide  not  Thy  Face  from  me,  I  pray  ! 

Thou  hast  my  help  been  in  the  past  : 
In  anger  turn  me  not  away  ; 

Forsake  me  not,  nor  from  Thee  cast. 


XXVIII  THE  PSALMS.  49 

10  When  of  my  parents  I  'm  bereft 

Earth's  holiest  ties  have  sundered  been, 
I  know  I  have  a  Father  left, 

Who  will  adopt  and  take  me  in. 

11  Teach  me  Thy  perfect  way,  O  Lord  ! 

Because  of  foes  that  lie  in  wait ; 

12  From  slanderers  and  others,  guard, 

That  breathe  out  cruelty  and  hate. 

13  Unless  I  had  believed  to  see 

Thy  goodness,  Lord,  here  verified, 
Sometime,  somehow,  it  seems  to  me 
I  must  have  fainted,  must  have  died. 

14  Wait  on  the  Lord  :     Be  strong,  and  let 

Thy  heart  take  courage  !     Banish  fear  ! 
No  one  defeat  has  suffered  yet — 

Wait  on  the  Lord  :     Be  of  good  cheer  ! 

PSALM     XXVIII. 

TO  Thee,  O  Lord,  I  lift  my  cry- 
Be  Thou,  my  Rock,  not  deaf  to  it, 
Lest  I  become  like  them  that  die — 
Them  that  go  down  into  the  pit. 

2   Now,  while  I  on  Thy  footstool  dwell, 
I  raise  my  hands,  my  heart  to  Thee  ! 
Speak  from  Thy  Holy  Oracle, 
O  be  not  silent,  answer  me  ! 

3 


5<D  THE  PSALMS.  XXIX 

3  Gather  me  not  with  those,  who  play 

Their  cunning  and  deceitful  parts  ! 
Peaceful  and  kind  the  words  they  say, 
But  mischief  lurks  within  their  hearts. 

4  Render  to  them  their  just  desert  : 

5  Because  Thy  works  they  disregard, 
Break  down  and  lay  them  in  the  dirt — 

Be  utter  ruin  their  reward. 

6  Thrice  blessed  be  the  Lord,  for  He 

Has  silence  broke,  and  answer  given  ; 

7  He  is  my  Strength,  He  strengthens  me, 

My  Shield,  my  Helper,  out  of  Heaven. 

'Tis  good  to  trust  and  wait  I  find  ; 

I  trusted,  and  deliverance  came  ; 
Therefore  will  I  with  heart  and  mind, 

Rejoice  in  Him,  and  praise  His  Name. 

8  He  is  His  people's  Strength;  He  is 

To  His  Anointed  a  Stronghold  : 
A  shepherd's  tenderness  is  His, 

He  feeds  His  flock  and  guards  the  fold. 

PSALM    XXIX. 

/"^  IVE  to  the  Lord,  ye  sons  of  might,  • 
\3T     Glory  and  strength — His  throne  address  ; 
2   Him  worship,  clothed  in  robes  of  light, 
The  beauty  born  of  holiness. 
Ye  angel  hosts  on  high  proclaim 
The  dreadful  honors  of  His  Name. 


XXX  THE  PSALMS.  5 

3  His  voice  is  on  the  billowy  sea, 

Heard  in  the  thunder  of  its  waves, 

4  Is  full  of  power  and  majesty, 

Resounding  through  its  countless  caves, 
And,  with  its  loud  and  deafening  roar, 
It  shakes  and  terrifies  the  shore. 

5  Cedars  of  Lebanon  it  breaks  ; 

6  They  like  a  calf  affrighted  skip  ; 
It  Lebanon  and  Hermon  makes 

Like  a  young  unicorn  to  trip  ; 
3   The  desert,  Kadesh,  quakes  to  hear  ; 
9  And  hinds  untimely  calve  through  fear. 

7  His  voice  it  cleaves  the  lightning's  wing  ; 
9       It  strips  and  leaves  the  forest  bare  ; 

And  all  Creation  worshipping 

Saith,  "  Glory  !  glory  !  "  everywhere  : 
io   He  at  the  Flood  and  through  all  time 
Sits  King  upon  His  throne  sublime. 

PSALM    XXX. 

I  WILL  extol  Thee  and  adore, 
For  Thou  hast  raised  me  up  once  more  ; 
And  hast  not  chosen  to  fulfill, 
The  hope  of  those  who  wish  me  ill. 

2  O  Lord,  my  God,  I  Thee  besought, 

3  And  Thou  hast  healed  me  :  Thou  hast  brought 
Up  from  the  underworld  my  soul — 

Saved  from  the  grave  and  made  me  whole. 


52  THE  PSALMS.  XXX 

4  Sing  to  Jehovah,  sound  the  fame 
Of  His  memorial  Holy  Name  ! 

5  While  that  His  anger  is  most  brief, 
A  sharp  but  momentary  grief, 

His  favor  is  a  life  time  ;  pain 
And  weeping  may  perchance  remain 
O'er  night,  but  when  the  morning  breaks, 
The  sleeping  joy  to  praise  awakes. 

6  But  foolishly,  by  pride  misled, 

"I  never  shall  be  moved,"  I  said — 

7  "  Thy  favor,  Lord,  continued  long, 

Has  made  my  mountain  to  stand  strong." 

When  Thou  Thy  loving  Face  didst  hide, 

8  Then  was  I  troubled,  and  I  cried 

9  To  Thee,  O  Lord  !  and  said  :  "  What  good 
Or  profit  is  there  in  my  blood  ? 

"When  I  go  down  into  the  pit, 
Shall  the  dust  praise  Thee?  or  shall  it 
io  Declare  Thy  truth  ? — Jehovah,  hear, 
Pity  and  help,  in  love  draw  near  !  " 

n  Thou  hast  (my  penitence  discerned) 
My  mourning  into  dancing  turned  ; 
My  sackcloth  loosed  ;  and  girded  me 

12  With  joy — that  I  may  sing  to  Thee. 


XXXI  THE  psalms.  53 

PSALM    XXXI. 

IN  Thee,  O  Lord,  I  put  my  trust — 
Let  me  not  come  to  shame  : 

2  Haste  to  my  help,  deliver  me, 

In  Thy  most  righteous  Name  ! 

Be  Thou  to  me  a  rock  of  strength, 
Where  I  may  safely  bide  : 

3  And  so  Thou  art  ;  for  Thy  Name's  sake 

Thou  wilt  me  lead  and  guide. 

4  Pluck  from  the  net  they  've  hid  for  me, 

For  Thou  art  my  sure  Friend  ; 

5  Hast  me  redeemed — into  Thy  hand 

My  spirit  I  commend. 

6  Them  that  vain  idols  serve  I  hate  ; 

My  soul  on  Thee  relies, 

7  I  will  be  glad,  for  Thou  hast  seen 

My  woes  with  pitying  eyes  ; 

8  And  hast  not  me  delivered  up 

A  prisoner  to  my  foe  ; 
But  set  my  feet  in  a  large  place, 
Left  free  to  come  and  go. 


9 


Have  mercy  on  me,  Lord  !  mine  eye 
With  weeping  wastes  away  ; 

My  powers  of  soul  and  body  fail, 
And  fall  into  decay. 


54  THE  PSALMS.  XXXI 


ro 


For  all  my  life  with  grief  is  spent  ; 

With  sighing  all  my  years  : 
By  reason  of  my  sins,  I  weep 

My  strength  away  in  tears. 


ii   Because  of  all  my  foes,  reproach 
Me  everywhere  attends  ; 
A  scorn  I  to  my  neighbors  am, 
A  terror  to  my  friends. 

They  that  did  see  me  in  the  street 
Immediately  fled  : 

12  I  am  forgotten,  out  of  mind, 

Like  one  already  dead. 

13  I  heard  the  many  me  traduce — 

The  envious  sons  of  strife — 
While  they  took  counsel,  and  devised 
To  take  away  my  life. 

14  But  in  the  Lord  I  trusted  still  : 

I  said  :  "  Thou  art  my  God  ; 

15  My  times  are  in  Thy  hand,  I  wait 

For  Thy  delivering  rod." 

16  Upon  me  cause  Thy  Face  to  shine  ; 

Save,  for  Thy  mercies'  sake  : 

17  Let  me  not  be  ashamed,  O  Lord  ! 

But  so  the  wicked  make. 


XXXI  THE  PSALMS,  55 

Let  them  in  Sheol  silent  be  ; 
iS       Let  lying  lips  be  dumb, 

From  which  proud  words  and  insolent 
Now  'gainst  the  righteous  come. 


19  How  great  Thy  goodness  treasured  up, 

Ne'er  told  by  tongue  or  pen, 
For  those  who  fear  and  trust  in  Thee 
Before  the  sons  of  men  ! 

20  Thou  in  Thy  presence  wilt  them  hide, 

From  plotters  'gainst  their  life  ; 
In  Thy  pavilion  them  conceal, 
Safe  from  the  tongues  of  strife. 

21  O  blessed  be  the  Lord,  for  He 

Strange  kindness  me  hath  shown, 
In  a  strong  city,  fenced  with  walls, 
That  could  not  be  o'erthrown. 

22  In  my  alarm  and  haste,  I  said  : 

"  I  am  cut  off,"  but  no — 
For  when  I  cried  for  help,  Thou  didst 
The  needed  help  bestow. 

23  O  love  the  Lord,  all  ye  His  saints  ; 

The  proud  He  will  reward  : 

24  Be  strong,  take  courage,  O  all  ye, 

Whose  hope  is  in  the  Lord  ! 


5  6  THE  PSALMS. 


XXXII 


B 


PSALM     XXXII. 

LEST  is  the  man,  who  stands  forgiven 
Of  trespasses  and  debts  ; 
To  whom  the  Lord  imputes  not  guilt, 
But  cancels  and  forgets. 


2  Whose  penitence  is  found  sincere  ; 

Whose  spirit  knows  no  guile  ; 
Whose  earthly  pilgrimage  is  cheered 
By  God's  approving  smile. 

3  When  I  kept  silence  I  waxed  old, 

Through  moaning  all  day  long  ; 

4  Thy  hand  was  heavy  day  and  night, 

For  unacknowledged  wrong. 

The  moisture  of  my  fevered  frame 
Was  changed  to  summer  drought  ; 

I  felt  the  sting  of  conscious  guilt, 
But  could  not  pluck  it  out. 

5  Acknowledged  I  my  sin  to  Thee, 

With  sense  of  what  was  fit ; 
I  said,  I  will  confess  my  fault, 
And  Thou  forgavest  it. 

6  For  this  let  every  godly  one 

To  Thee  in  prayer  abound 
In  an  accepted  time,  when  Thou 
May'st  certainly  be  found. 


XXX T I  THE  PSALMS.  57 

They  surely  shall  not  reach  to  him, 
When  whelming  waters  rave  ; 

When  danger  's  near,  Thou  'rt  nearer  yet, 
And  powerful  to  save. 

7   Thou  art  for  me  a  Hiding  Place 
In  trouble,  Thou  wilt  make 
Songs  of  divine  deliverance 
On  every  side  to  break. 


8  I  will  instruct  Thee  in  the  way, 

Thy  duty  't  is  to  go — 
With  mine  eye  on  Thee,  counsel  thee 
What  paths  to  tread  below. 

9  Be  not  as  horse  or  mule  that  must, 

Irrational  and  dumb, 
With  bit  and  bridle  be  held  firm, 
To  make  them  stay  or  come  : 

io  The  wicked  many  sorrows  have  ; 
But  whoso  trusts  the  Lord, 
Mercy  shall  compass  him  about 
And  grace  be  on  him  poured. 

ii    Exult,  ye  righteous,  and  rejoice  ; 
In  praise  bear  each  his  part  ; 
Ring  out  your  gladness,  O  all  ye 
Who  upright  are  in  heart ! 


58  THE  PSALMS.  XXXIII 


PSALM     XXXIII. 

EEJOICE,  ye  righteous,  in  the  Lord, 
For  praise  and  thanks  the  upright  suit 

2  Now  test  the  sweetness  of  each  chord 

Of  holy  harp  and  ten-stringed  lute — 

3  Awake  new  ecstasies  and  joys  ; 
Play  skillfully  with  a  loud  noise  ! 

4  Sing  how  Jehovah's  word  is  right — 

The  awful  rule  of  rectitude  : 
His  works  of  mercy  and  of  might, 
How  faithfully  He  has  pursued  : 

5  How  loves  He  righteousness  ;  how  earth 
He  fills  with  melody  and  mirth  ! 

6  Say,  By  His  word  the  heavens  were  made, 

And  their  unreckonable  hosts  : 

7  He  garnered  seas,  their  depths  uplaid 

In  magazines  shut  in  by  coasts : 
He  bound  the  whole  by  chains  of  law — 

8  Let  the  earth  fear  and  stand  in  awe. 


All  things  that  are,  in  Him  begun — 

By  Him  created  in  the  past  ! 
He  spake  the  word,  and  it  was  done  ; 

Commanded,  and  the  world  stood  fast. 
On  high  He  sits,  serene  and  calm, 
Holding  creation  in  His  palm. 


XXXIII  THE  PSALMS.  59 

10  The  counsels  of  the  nations  He 

Makes  void,  their  thoughts  of  none  effect  ; 

ii    His  counsels  stand  eternally, 

Impaired  by  time  in  no  respect. 

12  Happy  the  nation,  happiest  known, 
Whose  God  Jehovah  is  alone. 

13  The  Lord  from  heaven  at  once  surveys 

The  myriads  of  human  birth  ; 

14  From  His  high  throne  directs  His  gaze 

On  all  th'  inhabitants  of  earth  : 

15  He  fashioned  all  their  hearts,  and  knows 
Who  are  His  friends  and  who  His  foes. 

16  Not  by  the  number  of  his  host 

Is  the  king  saved,  and  victory  gained  ; 
Not  by  his  might,  the  warrior's  boast, 
Is  his  deliverance  obtained. 

17  The  war-horse,  when  it  has  to  cope 
With  mightier  strength,  is  a  vain  hope. 

iS  Jehovah  watches  from  above 

The  trembling  footsteps  of  the  just  : 

19  From  famine,  and  from  death,  in  love, 

Preserves  all  those  who  in  Him  trust. 

20  To  us,  O  Lord  !  our  Help  !  our  Shield  ! 
Be  now  Thy  saving  power  revealed  ! 

21  Our  heart  in  Thee  shall  happy  rest, 

Because  we  've  trusted  in  Thy  Name  ; 


60  THE  PSALMS.  XXXIV 

Thy  faithfulness  't  is  sweet  to  test — 
Thou  Who  forever  art  the  same. 
22   Thy  mercy,  Lord,  upon  us  be, 
According  as  we  hope  in  Thee. 

PSALM     XXXIV. 

I  WILL  bless  the  Lord,  and  raise 
Ceaseless  canticles  of  praise  ; 
From  full  fountains  running  o'er, 
I  perpetual  thanks  will  pour. 

2  I  will  praise  Him  when  I  'm  glad  ; 
I  will  praise  Him  when  I  'm  sad  ; 
While  my  eyes  with  tears  are  dim, 
I  will  make  my  boast  of  Him. 

3  Magnify  the  Lord  with  me  ; 
Let  His  Name  exalted  be  : 

4  When  I  seek  the  Lord,  He  hears 
And  delivers  from  my  fears. 

5  They  who  look  to  Him,  their  gloom 
He  shall  scatter  and  illume  : 
Whoso  call  upon  His  Name, 

They  shall  never  blush  for  shame. 

6  To  the  poor  man  in  his  grief, 
Brings  He  succor  and  relief  : 

7  And  His  angel  camps  about 
All  the  pious  and  devout. 


XXXIV  THE  PSALMS.  6 1 

8  Taste  and  see  the  Lord  is  good  : 
'T  is  a  truth  not  understood, 
They  alone  are  truly  blest 
Who  upon  His  bosom  rest. 

9  Fear  the  Lord  all  ye  His  saints  ; 
Wants  He  '11  banish  and  complaints — 

io  Though  young  lions  suffer  lack, 
He  '11  no  good  from  you  keep  back. 

ii   Come,  ye  children,  now  draw  near, 
Hear  me  teach  Jehovah's  fear: 

12  Would  ye  walk  in  pleasant  ways, 
See  long  life  and  happy  days, 

13  Keep  your  tongue  from  slanders  vile, 
And  your  lips  from  speaking  guile  ; 

14  Practice  good,  no  evil  do  ; 
Seek  ye  peace  and  it  pursue. 

15  Turns  the  Lord  approving  eyes 
On  the  good,  He  hears  their  cries  ; 

16  But  His  face  is  turned  away 
From  the  wicked,  them  to  slay. 

17  To  the  broken-hearted,  He, 
Dweller  in  eternity, 

18  Stoops  contrition's  sigh  to  hear, 
And  to  wipe  the  bitter  tear. 


62  THE  PSALMS.  XXXV 

19  Many  are  the  good  man's  woes, 
But  they  spoil  not  his  repose  : 

20  Of  his  bones  God  keeps  each  one, 
And  of  all  there  's  broken  none. 

21  Evil  shall  the  wicked  slay — 
Doomed  the  penalty  to  pay  : 

22  They,  who  in  Jehovah  trust, 
Shall  accounted  be  as  just. 


PSALM     XXXV. 

STRIVE  Thou  with  those  who  strive  with  me  ; 
Fight  Thou  'gainst  those  who  'gainst  me  fight  ; 

2  Grasp  shield  and  buckler  ;     And,  O  be, 

Jehovah,  helper  of  my  right  ! 

3  Draw  out  the  spear,  and  block  their  way  ; 

And,  "  I  will  save  thee,"  to  me  say. 

4  Confound  and  put  to  shame  all  those, 

Who  seek  my  life,  my  hurt  contrive  ; 
Turn  Thou  them  back  ;  and  make  my  foes 

5  Like  chaff  that  storm-winds  fiercely  drive  : 

6  Let,  through  a  dark  and  slippery  place, 
The  Angel  of  the  Lord  them  chase. 

7  For  without  cause,  for  me  a  snare 

They  hid,  and  digged  for  me  a  pit  ; 

8  As  for  their  trap,  all  unaware 

9  May  they  themselves  fall  into  it. 

10  "  Who  is  like  Thee,"  I  then  shall  say, 
"  Who  spoils  the  spoiler  of  his  prey  ? " 


XXXV  THE  PSALMS.  63 

n    Malicious  witnesses  arise  ; 

They  ask  me  things  I  do  not  know  ; 

12  They  ill  for  good  'gainst  me  devise  ; 

Bereave,  and  plunge  my  soul  in  woe. 

13  Whereas,  when  they  were  sick,  I  wore 
Sackcloth,  kept  fast,  watched,  prayed,  wept  sore. 

14  As  to  a  cherished  friend  or  brother 

I  bore  myself,  I  to  him  clung  ; 
I  mourned  as  for  a  dying  mother  ; 

15  But  at  my  halting,  their  sharp  tongue 
They  did  like  sword  'gainst  me  unsheath — 

16  They  gnashed  upon  me  with  their  teeth. 

17  How  long,  O  Lord,  wilt  Thou  look  on  ? 

Restore  destructions  !     Let  my  life 
From  the  young  lion's  jaws  be  won— 
The  purposed  prey  of  men  of  strife  : 

18  In  the  great  congregation  I 
Will  then  Thy  goodness  magnify. 


19  Let  not  them,  wrongfully  my  foes, 

Rejoice  o'er  me  ;  permit  not  them, 

20  Who  without  cause  hate  and  oppose, 

To  sneer,  wink  with  the  eye,  contemn, 

21  And  with  wide  mouth  exclaim,  "Ha  !  ha  ! 
We'd  have  it  so,  we  're  glad  we  saw." 

22  Lord  !  Thou  hast  seen  it — Be  not  far  ; 

23  Wake  to  the  justice  of  my  cause  : 


64  THE  PSALMS.  XXXVI 

24  Judge  me,  judge  them,  who  guilty  are, 

According  to  Thy  righteous  law. 

25  Let  them  not  say  with  humor  grim, 

"  Ha  !  ha  !  we  now  have  swallowed  him." 


26  May  those  who  at  my  hurt  rejoice, 

Confounded  and  dishonored  lie, 
My  foes,  who  with  united  voice 
Themselves  against  me  magnify. 

27  Friends  of  my  right,  let  them  in  song, 
Sing  Thy  glad  praises  all  day  long  ! 


PSALM    XXXVI. 

WICKEDNESS  within  the  heart 
Of  the  sinner  whispers  lies, 
Drawn  to  act  the  atheist's  part, 
To  God's  fear  he  shuts  his  eyes  ;- 

2  Duped  by  that  false  oracle, 

By  self-flatteries  within — 
Thinks  that  none  will  know  or  tell 
Th'  odious  secret  of  his  sin. 

3  False  his  words  are ;  to  be  wise, 

And  do  good  he  has  left  off  : 

4  Plans  in  bed  iniquity  ; 

His  chief  business  is  to  scoff. 


XXXVI  THE  PSALMS.  65 

5  Lord,  Thy  truth  and  goodness  strike 

Highest  reaches  of  the  sky  ; 

6  And  Thy  righteousness  is  like 

Thy  great  mountains  lifted  high  : 


And  Thy  judgments  are  a  deep, 
Deeper  than  the  deepest  sea  : 

Man  and  beast,  Thou,  Lord,  dost  keep- 
All  would  perish  without  Thee. 


7  Precious  is  Thy  love  and  dear ; 

Safe  the  shelter  of  Thy  wing  ; 
S   Great  abundance  of  good  cheer 

Thou  wilt  to  Thy  children  bring  : 


Thou  wilt  make  them  drink  their  fill 
From  Thine  Eden  river  bright  : 
9  With  Thee  is  life's  fountain  still, 
In  Thy  light  shall  we  see  light. 


10  Let  Thy  goodness  bide  and  stay  : 

11  Let  not  foot  of  pride  o'ertake  : 
Let  no  hand  drive  me  away  : 

12  They  shall  fall  who  Thee  forsake. 


66  THE  PSALMS.  XXXVII 


PSALM     XXXVII.* 

T  evil-doers  do  not  fret  ; 

Let  their  success  not  thee  disturb — 
They  soon  like  grass  will  be  cut  down, 
And  withered  be  like  the  green  herb  ! 


A1 


3  But  in  Jehovah  trust  ;  do  good  ; 

Dwell  in  the  land  and  safely  feed  : 

4  And  in  the  Lord  delight  thyself, 

And  He  '11  supply  thy  every  need. 

5  Commit  thy  way  unto  the  Lord  : 

Confide  in  Him  to  make  all  right. 

6  He  will  bring  forth  thy  righteousness, 

And  judgment  as  the  noonday  light. 

7  Depend  upon  the  Lord,  and  wait  ; 

Fret  not  thyself  at  other's  gain  : 

8  From  anger  cease,  and  wrath  forsake — 

It  tends  to  crime,  is  worse  than  vain. 

9  Evil  who  sow,  shall  evil  reap  ; 

But  those  who  wait,  shall  yet  possess. 
io        The  wicked  soon  shall  be  no  more, — 
His  mansion  be  left  tenantless. 


*  This  Psalm  belongs  to  the  acrostic  or  alphabetic  class,  in  which  the  initial 
letters  of  the  Hebrew  alphabet,  in  their  regular  order,  are  the  initial  letters  of  the 
successive  lines  or  stanzas  of  the  poem.  They  are  seven  in  number,  viz. :  Psalms 
25,  34,  37,  in,  us,  119,  145.  The  aphoristic  character  is  common  to  them  all. 
Made  up  of  practical  precepts  to  be  learned  by  heart,  it  is  probable  that  the  al- 
phabetic arrangement  was  meant  to  serve  as  a  mnemonic  device  to  assist  in  re- 
membering them.  In  the  present  case  the  English  alphabet  has  been  substituted 
for  the  Hebrew. 


XXXVII  THE  PSALMS.  67 

11  Favored  of  God  are  all  the  meek, 

The  meek  inherit  shall  the  earth — 
Abundance  shall  they  have  of  peace, 
In  testimony  of  their  worth. 

12  Gms  f°r  tne  good  the  wicked  lays, 

He  gnashes  on  him  with  his  teeth. 

13  The  Lord  shall  laugh  at  him  ;  He  sees 

Destruction  moving  from  beneath. 

14  Hands  of  the  wicked  draw  the  sword, 

They  bend  the  bow  to  slay  the  upright — 

15  Their  sword  shall  enter  their  own  hearts  ; 

Their  bow  shall  broken  be  outright. 

16  In  little  has  the  righteous  more, 

Than  many  wicked  have  in  much  : 

17  The  arms  of  these  shall  shattered  be, 

But  God  lets  none  the  righteous  touch. 

18  Knows  God  the  days  of  the  upright  ; 

Their  heritage  shall  aye  endure  ; 

19  They  shall  at  no  time  come  to  shame  ; 

Their  bread  in  famine  shall  be  sure. 

20  J^et  all  the  wicked  know,  that  theirs 

Is  the  brief  glory  of  the  meads  : 
Like  smoke  it  vanishes  away, 
The  final  fate  of  fairest  weeds. 


68  THE  PSALMS.  XXXVII 

21  Money  they  borrow  and  pay  not ; 

The  righteous  favor  show,  and  give  : 

22  Those  whom  God  blesses,  title  gain 

To  vast  estates,  and  long  shall  live. 

23  Need  is  our  steps  should  ordered  be 

By  God,  who  therein  takes  delight  ; 

24  For  though  we  fall,  we  '11  rise  again, 

By  help  of  His  upholding  might. 

25  On  the  Lord's  faithfulness  rely  : 

For  I  've  been  young  and  now  am  old, 
Yet  have  I  seen  forsaken  none 

Who  trusted  God,  and  kept  fast  hold. 

26  Practice  the  precepts  thou  hast  learned  : 

Keep  God's  pure  law  thine  eyes  before  : 
Depart  from  evil  and  do  good  : 
And  so  abide  forevermore. 

28  Quite  sure  it  is  He  judgment  loves  ; 

And  He  will  not  His  saints  forsake  : — 
They  are  preserved  for  aye  ;  but  He 
An  end  will  of  the  wicked  make. 

29  Revolves  the  righteous  in  his  heart 

30  The  words  of  wisdom  he  would  speak  ; 

31  His  steps  they  waver  not,  because 

God's  law  makes  steadfast  what  is  weak. 


XXXVII  THE  PSALMS.  69 

32  $ly  secret  watch  the  wicked  keeps — 

Lying  in  wait  just  blood  to  spill  : 

33  God  will  explode  a  sentence  given, 

Where  Hate  sits  judge  and  thirsts  to  kill. 

34  Thou  on  Jehovah  wait  ;  stand  fast  ! 

He  '11  raise  thee  to  possess  the  land  : 
And  when  the  wicked  is  cut  off, 
Thou  shall  it  see  and  understand. 

35  Un^er  a  golden  canopy 

I  saw  a  wicked  man  and  proud, 
Having  great  power  unjustly  got, 
Claiming  base  worship  from  the  crowd, 

36  Vain  glorious,  self-deified, 

Spreading  himself  like  a  green  tree 
In  its  own  soil.     I  passed  again, 
And  he  was  not — gone  utterly. 

37  Watch  thou  the  perfect  man,  behold 

The  upright,  for  his  end  is  peace  : 

38  As  for  transgressors  they  shall  be 

Destroyed  together,  and  shall  cease. 

39  'Xult — salvation  's  of  the  Lord  ; 

In  time  of  trouble  your  Stronghold, 

40  ^our  Help  and  your  Deliverer 

From  the  ungodly,  as  of  old. 


70  THE  PSALMS.  XXXVIII 

PSALM     XXXVIII. 

SPARE  me  !  howe'er  deserved, 
My  punishment  curtail  : 
Let  Thy  abundant  mercy,  Lord, 
O'er  wrath  provoked  prevail. 

2  Thine  arrows  are  sunk  deep  ; 

There  's  nothing  in  me  whole  ; 

3  There  is  no  soundness  in  my  flesh, 

No  comfort  in  my  soul. 

4  I  sink,  weighed  down  by  sins 

That  heavier  are  than  lead, 
In  whelming  waters  whose  loud  waves 
Are  roaring  o'er  my  head. 

5  My  stripes  are  festering  wounds  ; 

6  My  agony  is  great ; 

I  with  unceasing  tears  bewail 
My  sorrowful  estate  : 

7  There  's  burning  in  my*  loins  ; 

8  I  am  benumbed  and  bruised  ; 
I  cry  out  from  disquietude 

That  's  everywhere  diffused. 

9  My  longing  is  not  hid  ; 

To  Thee  each  sigh  and  groan, 
io   My  fluttering  heart,  my  failing  eyes, 
My  feebleness,  are  known. 


X  X  X  V T 1 1  TffE  PSALMS.  7 1 

tt    My  lovers  and  my  friends, 
My  kinsmen  stand  aloof  ; 

12  My  foes  weave  hateful  calumnies, 

Most  false  in  warp  and  woof. 

13  But  I  've  been  deaf  and  dumb, 

14  Like  one  that  did  not  hear  ; 

15  For  Thee  I  waited,  O  my  God  ! 

My  character  to  clear. 

16  They  will,  I  said,  exult, 

If  I  commit  a  fault — 
If  slips  my  foot,  and  well  I  know 

17  I  ready  am  to  halt. 

iS   My  grief  I  kept  in  mind — 
How  guilty  I  have  been  ; 
I  will  my  guiltiness  declare, 
Be  sorry  for  my  sin. 

19  But  many  are  my  foes, 

They  deadly  are  and  strong  ; 

20  Evil  for  good  they  render  me, 

For  kindness  do  me  wrong. 

21  Forsake  me  not,  O  Lord  ! 

Be  never  far  away  ; 

22  Make  haste  to  help  me,  O  my  God  ! 

Thy  saving  power  display. 


J2  THE  PSALMS.  XXXIX 

PSALM     XXXIX. 

I  SAID,  I  will  take  heed,  that  I 
Offend  not  with  my  tongue  ; 
My  mouth  with  bridle  keep,  while  I 
The  wicked  am  among. 

2  And  I  was  dumb,  I  held  my  peace, 

I  uttered  not  a  word, 
Abstained  from  even  proper  speech — 
Then  was  my  sorrow  stirred  ; 

3  My  heart  was  hot  within  ;  the  fire 

While  I  was  musing,  burned  ; 
Then  spake  I  with  my  tongue  once  more 
Of  what  me  most  concerned. 

4  Make  me  to  know  my  end,  O  Lord  ! 

The  measure  of  my  days  ; 
That  I  may  know  how  frail  I  am, 
How  fatal  my  delays. 

5  Behold  my  days  as  handbreadths  are, 

So  brief  are  they  and  few  ; 
My  life  is  naught — a  bubble  I 
And  bubbles  I  pursue. 

.* 

6  Man  at  his  best,  when  standing  firm, 

In  truth  is  but  a  breath  ; 
He  heaps  up  gold  with  restless  toil 
For  unknown  heirs  at  death. 


XL  THE  PSALMS,  73 

7  And  now,  what  wait  I  for,  O  Lord  ? 

My  hope  is  all  in  Thee  ; 

8  O  make  me  not  the  sceptic's  scorn  ; 

From  my  transgressions  free. 

9  Because  Thou  didst  it,  I  was  dumb, 

I  opened  not  my  mouth  : 
io  Remove  Thy  stroke  away  from  me, 
That  parches  likes  a  drouth. 

ii   When  Thou  with  just  rebukes  dost  man 
For  his  misdeeds  correct  ; 
Thou  spoil'st  his  beauty  as  a  moth, 
And  turn'st  away  respect. 

12  Hear  Thou  my  prayer  for  help,  O  God  ! 

Reply  to  tears  I  pour  : 

13  Let  me  recover  strength*,  ere  I 

Go  hence  and  be  no  more  ! 


PSALM     XL. 

I  WAITED  for  the  Lord  till  He 
His  answer  did  no  more  delay  ; 
2  With  a  strong  arm  He  lifted  me 

From  darksome  pit  and  miry  clay, 
And  placed  my  feet  on  rocky  ground, 
And  made  my  joy  and  peace  abound. 

*  Or,  O  let  me  smile  again, 


74  THE  PSALMS.  XL 

3   He  gave  me  a  new  song  to  sing, 

And  His  great  goodness  was  my  theme  ; 

I  made  the  hills  and  valleys  ring, 
For  O  my  rapture  was  supreme  ! 

Many  shall  see  and  fear  and  trust, 

Happy  is  he  whom  lies  disgust. 

5  Many  the  wonders  Thou  hast  wrought, 

0  Lord  my  God,  on  our  account  : 
Tried  I  to  tell  each  gracious  thought, 

1  could  not  to  the  number  mount. 

O  Thou  with  whom  none  can  compare, 
How  can  I  speak  Thee  or  declare  ? 

6  Since  sacrifice  and  offering  Thou 

Hast  no  delight  in  any  more, 
But  only  in  obedience  now, 

Thou  didst  mine  ears  for  service  bore — 
Then  said  I,  "  Lo,  I  come  Thy  will, 
My  God,  completely  to  fulfill." 

9  To  preach  glad  news  of  righteousness, 

Thou  knowest,  Lord,  I  've  not  refrained  ; 
Mid  gathered  Israel's  mighty  press, 
My  ardent  lips  I've  not  restrained, 
io  From  publishing  and  making  known 
The  truth  and  mercy  of  Thy  throne. 


ii   Withhold  not  Thy  compassions,  let 
Thy  love  and  truth  continued  be  : 


XLI  THE  PSALMS.  75 

12  For  countless  ills  have  me  beset, 

My  sins  have  overtaken  me — 
So  many  are  they,  shame  and  dread 
Forbid  that  I  should  lift  my  head. 

13  Make  haste  to  answer  me,  O  Lord  ! 

14  Let  those,  who  would  my  soul  destroy, 
Confusion  have  for  their  reward, 

And  those  who  in  my  hurt  would  joy. 

15  Let  them  therefore  be  desolate, 
Who  say  Aha  !  in  scorn  and  hate. 

16  Make  glad  all  who  in  Thee  confide  ; 

Let  such  as  Thy  salvation  prize, 
Repeat  :  "  The  Lord  be  magnified  !  " 

17  Though  poor,  Thou  dost  not  me  despise  ; 
Thou  art  my  Help — deliv'rance  bring, 
Make,  O  my  God,  no  tarrying  ! 


H 


PSALM     XLI. 

APPY  is  he  whose  heart  unlocks 
And  swings  a  hospitable  door, 
Whene'er  the  hand  of  pity  knocks, 

And  claims  admittance  for  the  poor 
Who  lends  to  grief  a  willing  ear, 
And  sheds  the  sympathizing  tear: 

2   The  Lord  will  in  the  evil  day 
Deliver  such,  and  keep  alive  ; 
He  '11  prosper  him  and  turn  away 
The  ruin  that  his  foes  contrive: 


76  THE  PSALMS,  XLI 

3  Stretched  on  his  couch  will  stay  his  head, 
And  in  his  sickness  make  his  bed. 

4  Have  mercy  on  me,  Lord,  I  said, 

Heal  Thou  my  soul,  for  I  have  sinned  : 

5  My  foes  speak  evil,  wish  me  dead  : 

6  Visits  he  me  ?    My  ears  are  dinned 
With  falsehood.     He  employs  his  wit 

To  frame  a  lie,  then  blazons  it. 

7  Gather  in  knots  all  who  me  hate  ; 

Malicious  whispers  go  around  ; 
They  feign  much  grief,  calumniate, 

And  try  which  can  the  deepest  wound  : 

8  There  clings,  say  they,  some  evil  thing 
To  him  that  will  to  death  soon  bring. 

9  My  trusted  own  familiar  friend,* 

Who  ate  my  bread,  has  lifted  up 
His  heel  against  me — to  same  end 

Held  to  my  lips  a  poisoned  cup  : 
In  secret  played  a  traitor's  part, 
With  stabs  directed  at  my  heart. 

io  Be  gracious,  Lord,  and  me  restore, 

That  I  may  properly  requite  ; 
ii   Because  my  foe's  short  triumph  's  o'er, 

I  know  Thou  dost  in  me  delight, 
12   In  my  integrity  dost  place 
Me  evermore  before  Thy  face. 

*  Ahithophel. 


XLI  THE  PSALMS.  J  J 

13   O  blessed  and  thrice  blessed  be, 
Jehovah,  God  of  Israel  ! 
Whose  dwelling  is  eternity, 

Whose  being  is  perpetual — 
From  everlasting  it  begun — 
To  everlasting  it  will  run. 

Amen  and  Amen. 


The  supposition,  that  Psalms  38,  39,  41  and  55  were  composed  while  David  was 
weighed  down  by  the  debilitating  languors  of  a  protracted  bodily  illness,  aggra- 
vated by  cruel  rumors  of  the  unnatural  conduct  of  his  son  Absalom,  and  the  secret 
or  open  defection  and  treachery  of  some  of  his  most  trusted  counsellors  (Ahitho- 
phel,  in  particular),  is  favored  not  only  by  direct  hints  and  allusions,  but  by  the 
help  it  affords  in  explaining  some  things  otherwise  unaccountable — for  example, 
the  supineness  and  slackened  vigor  which  allowed  the  conspiracy  to  ripen  with- 
out any  steps  being  taken  to  defeat  it.  The  King's  inability,  moreover,  from  this 
cause,  to  perform  the  duties  of  his  office  would  naturally  give  rise  to  those  post- 
ponements and  delays  in  the  administration  of  justice  and  the  hearing  of  causes, 
which  Absalom  so  adroitly  turned  to  his  own  advantage  in  breeding  disaffec- 
tion, and  stealing  the  hearts  of  the  people  (2  Sam.  15  :  4-6)  by  an  ostentatious  for- 
wardness and  pretended  zeal  for  their  welfare. 

David's  sin  in  the  matter  of  Uriah  was  ever  before  him  (Ps.  51:  3)  and  darkened 
the  whole  of  his  subsequent  life.  If  sin  be,  as  etymologically  defined,  "  a  missing 
of  the  mark,"  it  was  never  more  strikingly  verified  than  in  his  case.  He  was  soon 
made  aware  that  he  had  committed  not  only  a  crime  but  a  blunder.  Though  for- 
given, he  carried  a  dull  ache  in  his  heart's  core,  that  never  left  him.  His  heart 
oft  failed  him;  he  was  degraded  in  his  own  eyes;  he  was  so  ashamed  that  he  was 
not  able  to  look  up;  his  iniquities  had  laid  hold  of  him  (Ps.  40:  12)  and  would  not 
let  go.  Ever  after  his  fall,  all  his  adverse  fortune  he  never  doubted  was  a  chas- 
tisement for  that  sin — a  buffet  (Ps.  39  :  10)  of  the  Divine  Hand.  Again  and  again 
he  refers  to  it.  It  is  an  interesting  psychological  study  to  note  how  the  recollec- 
tion of  his  great  fault  affected  him.  He  who  had  said  "  I  will  walk  within  my  house 
with  a  perfect  heart"  (Ps.  102  :  2)  had  been  guilty  of  treachery,  adultery  and  mur- 
der. O  the  shame  of  it !  During  all  the  miserable  months  which  passed  prior  to 
Nathan's  visit  he  penned  no  psalms  nor  sung  any.  His  harp  was  silent.  The 
Nemesis  of  a  troubled  conscience  kept  his  eyes  waking.  He  speaks  of  his  "  roaring 
all  the  day  long."  The  anguish  of  his  mind  fevered  his  body.  Then  came  con- 
fession. Both  (Ps.  51  and  32)  are  saturated  with  the  tears  of  penitence  and  a 
broken  heart.  But  the  sickness,  noted  in  Psalm  41,  is  evidently  of  a  more  chronic 
kind,  in  which  figure  the  plotters  concerned  in  the  Absalom  rebellion.  Com- 
pare Ps.  55. 


BOOK     II 


PSALMS    XLII     and    XLIII.* 


A 


S  the  flying  hart,  pursued, 

Pants  for  streamlets  running  free, 
So  in  this  lone  solitude 

Pants  my  soul,  O  God,  for  Thee — 


2  Thirsts  for  Thee,  the  Living  God  : 

When  before  Thee  shall  I  come  ? 

3  Tears  have  been  my  daily  food, 

While  they  asked  and  I  was  dumb, 

"Where  is  now  Thy  God  ?     O  where?" 

4  I  recall,  how  with  the  throng, 
While  thanksgivings  shook  the  air, 

To  Thy  House  I  passed  along. 

Dear  to  memory  those  days, 

When  dense  crowds  went  up  to  pray ; 
And  with  voice  of  joy  and  praise 

In  Thy  Courts  kept  holy  day. 


♦These  two  Psalms,  which  are  properly  one,  are  strophic  in  form,  being  di- 
vided into  three  parts  by  a  refrain.  David,  a  discrowned  fugitive,  has  reached 
Mahanaim,  or  is  on  his  way  thither.  The  Psalm  has  for  its  entourage,  frame,  or 
setting,  the  Jordan  with  its  cataracts  ;  its  mountain  affluent,  the  Jabbok,  visited 
by  the  hunted  hart ;  and  Mt.  Hermon  with  its  three  summits.  He  laments  his  ex- 
clusion from  the  Sanctuary  at  Jerusalem.    See  2  Samuel  15:  25. 


XLII-XLITI  THE  PSALMS.  ?Q 

5  Why  art  thou  cast  down,  my  soul  ? 

Why  this  tossing,  sick  unrest  ? 
Hope  in  God,  and  Him  extol. 
Who  the  health  is  of  thy  breast. 

6  O  my  God  !  I,  sad  and  ill, 

From  the  land  of  Jordan  cry  : 
Hermon's  heights  and  Mizar's  hill 
Refuge  for  the  time  supply. 

7  Musing  on  the  farther  shore, 

On  successful  treason's  acts, 
In  full  hearing  of  the  roar 
Of  the  mighty  cataracts, 

Bounds  no  more  my  spirit  keeps, 

Voicing  deeps  assume  control, 
All  Thy  waves  and  billows  sweep 

Over  my  astonished  soul. 

8  Yet  the  Lord  will  be,  I  know, 

Gracious  as  He  was  of  yore  ; 
Will  His  loving-kindness  show, 
And  will  former  songs  restore. 

9  I  will  say,  My  God  !   My  Rock  ! 

Why  hast  Thou  forgotten  me  ? 
io   Why  do  I  endure  the  mock 
Of  th'  insulting  enemy  ? 


80  THE  PSALMS.  XLII-XLVIII 

ii   Why  art  thou  cast  down,  my  soul  ? 
Why  this  tossing,  sick  unrest? 
Hope  in  God,  and  Him  extol, 
Who  the  health  is  of  thy  breast. 


i   Judge  me,  Lord  !  defend  my  right, 
'Gainst  a  nation  in  revolt  ; 
From  chief  traitor*  urging  fight, 
Rescue,  and  repel  assault. 

2  Thou  who  art  my  Strength,  O  why 

Dost  Thou  cast  me  off  and  spurn? 
Why,  oppressed  by  foes,  go  I 
Mourning,  waiting  Thy  return  ? 

3  Send  out  now  Thy  light  and  truth  ! 

They  shall  guide  me,  they  shall  bring 
To  Thy  Holy  Hill,  in  sooth, 
Where  I  '11  lay  thank-offering 

4  On  Thine  altar.     For  relief 

From  my  tribulation  sharp, 
For  great  joy  succeeding  grief, 
I  will  praise  Thee  on  the  harp. 

5  Why  art  thou  cast  down,  my  soul? 

Why  this  tossing,  sick  unrest? 
Hope  in  God,  and  Him  extol 
Who  the  health  is  of  thy  breast. 

*  Ahithophel  ? 


XLIV  THE  PSALMS.  8 1 

PSALM     XLIV. 

OGOD  !  we  with  our  ears  have  heard, 
Our  fathers  have  us  told, 
What  work  Thou  wroughtest  in  their  days 
The  famous  days  of  old. 

2  Thou  didst  the  heathen  dispossess, 

And  plantedst  them  therein  : 

3  They  by  the  sword  gat  not  the  Land, 

Nor  by  their  arm  did  win  ; 

But  Thou,  by  Thy  right  hand  and  arm, 

Didst  mightily  befriend  ; 
Their  conquests  multiply,  their  bounds 

On  every  side  extend. 

4  Thou  art  my  King  :   Do  Thou,  O  God, 

Deliverance  command 
Once  more  for  Jacob  ;  yet  once  more 
Display  Thy  helping  hand. 

5  Through  Thee  we  will  push  down  our  foes, 

Trample  and  put  to  shame  ; 

6  For  I  '11  not  trust  in  bow  or  sword  ; 

7  But  only  in  Thy  Name. 

Thou  hast  our  adversaries  quelled. 
And  chased  their  flying  ranks  : 

8  In  Thee  we  made  all  day  our  boast, 

To  Thee  will  still  give  thanks. 


82  THE  PSALMS.  XLIV 

9   But  now  Thou  hast  us  quite  cut  off, 
And  to  dishonor  brought  : 
Thou  hast  not  gone  forth  with  our  hosts, 
Nor  on  our  side  hast  fought : 

10  And  they  who  hate  have  us  for  spoil  ; 

We  at  their  feet  are  flung  : 
ii   Thou  givest  us  as  sheep  for  food, 

And  scatterest  them  among. 

12  Thy  people  Thou  dost  sell  for  naught  ; 

13  We  're  sneered  at  without  rest ; 

14  Among  the  nations  a  by-word, 

The  Gentiles'  constant  jest. 

15  I  have  all  day  before  my  eyes 

These  tokens  of  disgrace  ; 

16  The  shame  of  their  loud  blasphemies 

Calls  blushes  to  my  face. 

17  All  this  has  come  upon  us,  Lord  ! 

But  we  've  not  Thee  forgot ; 

18  Nor  false  been  to  Thy  covenant ; 

From  Thee  departed  not  : 

19  Though  Thou  hast  crushed  us  in  the  place 

Of  jackals  howling  near  ; 
Hast  shrouded  us  with  shades  of  night, 
And  blackest  glooms  of  fear. 


XLV  THE  PSALMS.  83 

20  If  we  've  the  Name  of  God  forgot, 

And  played  a  treacherous  part ; 

21  Shall  God  not  search  this  out?     He  knows 

The  secrets  of  the  heart. 

22  We  're  all  day  long  for  Thy  sake  slain  ; 

Accounted  are  as  sheep 
Designed  for  slaughter,  each  in  turn, 
Our  life  is  held  so  cheap. 

23  Awake  :  why  sleepest  Thou,  O  Lord  ? 

Arise  for  our  relief  : 

24  Why  hidest  Thou  Thy  face  from  us, 

Forgetful  of  our  grief? 

25  For  to  the  dust  are  we  bowed  down, 

We  cleave  unto  the  clod — 

26  Rise  for  our  help,  redeem  us  for 

Thy  mercies'  sake,  O  God  ! 


PSALM     XLV. 

FROM  my  heart's  fountain,  my  great  theme 
Wells  up,  an  overflowing  stream  ; 
Because  my  words  concern  the  King, 
Uprushing,  copious,  they  spring  : 
My  tongue  possesses  a  new  gift, 
The  ready  writer's  pen  less  swift. 


84  THE  PSALMS.  XLV 

2  Fair,  fair  art  Thou,  O  fairer  far 
Than  fairest  of  earth's  children  are  : 
What  grace  into  Thy  lips  is  poured  ! 
What  hives  of  sweetness  there  are  stored  ! 
Therefore  has^God  pronounced  Thee  blest — 
•Th'  Eternal  Darling  of  His  breast. 

3  Gird  Thou  Thy  sword  upon  Thy  thigh, 

4  O  Mighty  One,  for  triumphs  high  : 
In  glory  and  in  majesty 

Ascend  Thy  car,  ride  prosperously  : 
Because  of  meekness,  truth  and  right, 
Thy  trained  hand  terribly  shall  smite. 

5  Sharp  are  Thine  arrows  in  Thy  foes, 
Whereby  the  people  that  oppose 
Fall  under  Thee  :   Thy  work  pursue, 
Till  Thou  all  nations  shalt  subdue. 

6  Thy  throne,  O  God,  forever  stands — 
Thy  righteous  sceptre  sways  all  lands. 

7  Thou  righteousness  lov'st  evermore, 
And  hatest  wickedness— therefore, 
Hath  God,  Thy  God,  anointed  Thee 
With  oil  of  gladness  plenteously 
Above  Thy  fellows.     When  astir, 

8  All  Thy  rich  garments  smell  of  myrrh, 

Of  aloes,  cassia,  fragrant  gums — 
While,  ever  and  anon,  there  comes 


XLV  THE  PSALMS.  85 

Out  of  the  ivory  palaces 

The  noise  of  instruments  to  please — 

The  mighty  melody  of  strings, 

That  lifts  the  soul  on  heavenly  wings. 

9  Daughters  of  kings  are  with  Thee  seen  : 
On  Thy  right  hand  there  stands  the  Queen, 
In  gold  of  Ophir  :    Daughter,  hear  ! 

10  Forget  thy  father's  house  once  dear; 

11  So  shall  the  King  thy  beauty  prize  : 
For  He  's  thy  Lord,  lift  reverent  eyes  ! 

His  beauty  makes  thy  beauty  dim  ; 
But  thou  art  fair  since  fair  to  Him  : 
The  sweet  reflections  of  His  face 
Give  majesty  to  thine  and  grace — 
Thou  art  a  portion  of  His  state, 
So  that  His  greatness  makes  thee  great. 

12  Therefore  proud  Tyre,  will,  bowing  low, 
On  thee  rich  nuptial  gifts  bestow  ; 

Th'  opulent  will  thee  entreat, 
And  sue  for  favors  at  thy  feet  : 
Honors  flow  in  from  every  side, 
Such  as  befit  a  royal  bride. 

13  Lo,  the  king's  daughter  sits  admired 
In  her  apartments  :  all  attired 

In  gorgeous  dress  inwrought  with  gold — 
Embroidered  work  fair  to  behold — 

14  She  shall  be  led  in  to  the  King  ; 

15  Attendant  virgins  shall  her  bring. 


86  THE  PSALMS.  XLVI 

16  Thou  in  Thy  fathers'  stead  shalt  see 
Thy  sons,  a  royal  progeny, 

Whom  Thou,  in  view  of  their  high  birth, 
Shalt  princes  make  in  all  the  earth. 

17  Thy  Name  shall  still  remembered  be, 
And  praise  forever  rise  to  Thee. 


PSALM    XLVI. 

f~^\  OD  is  our  Refuge  and  our  Rock, 
\JT     Our  Help  in  tribulation — 

2  Therefore  we  will  not  fear  the  shock 

That  moves  the  world's  foundation. 
Let  mountains  be 
Sunk  in  the  sea  ; 

3  Its  waters  roar 

And  shake  the  shore — 
Our  hearts  shall  ne'er  be  shaken* 


There  is  a  river,  whose  pure  streams 

Make  glad  the  Holy  City  ; 
Hard  by  the  Hill  it  glides  and  gleams. 
Where  dwells  the  God  of  Pity. 
Where  God  abides 
No  danger  hides  ; 
Seems  He  withdrawn, 
At  break  of  dawn, 
His  help  will  be  extended. 


XLVI  THE  PSALMS.  $J 

6  The  nations  raged,  the  kingdoms  were 

In  turmoil  and  commotion  ; 
He  spake,  earth  melted  ;  ceased  the  stir 
And  madness  of  the  ocean. 

7  The  Lord  of  hosts 
Defends  our  coasts  ; 
In  perils  high 

To  Him  we  fly, 
And  all  the  peril  passes. 

8  Come,  see  Jehovah's  works  of  peace — 

Who  wrought  earth's  desolations, 

9  Now  causing  wars  and  strifes  to  cease 

Among  all  tribes  and  nations  : 
He  breaks  the  bow, 
The  spear  also  ; 
The  chariot  burns  ; 
To  ashes  turns 
The  engines  of  destruction. 

io  Be  still,  and  know  that  I  am  God  ! 
My  name  shall  be  exalted — 
I  '11  stretch  my  peace-restoring  rod 
O'er  nations  that  revolted. 
ii  The  Lord  of  hosts 

Defends  our  coasts  ; 
In  perils  high, 
To  Him  we  fly, 
And  all  the  peril  passes. 


SS  THE  PSALMS.  XLVII 


PSALM    XLVII. 

OALL  ye  peoples,  clap  your  hands  : 
Shout  unto  God,  the  Lord  Most  High  ; 

2  Who  is  the  Monarch  of  all  lands, 

Whose  dreadful  sceptre  rules  the  sky  ! 

3  He  nations  under  us  subdues  ; 

Puts  hostile  kingdoms  'neath  our  feet  : 

4  Our  heritage  He  deigns  to  choose — 

The  pride  of  Jacob  makes  His  seat. 

5  God  has  gone  up  with  shouts — the  Lord 

With  blare  of  trumpets  echoing — 

6  Strike  harps  of  praise  ;  instruct  each  chord 

To  testify  God  is  our  King. 

7  Sing  praise  to  God  with  harpings  loud  ! 

8  He  o'er  the  nations  reigns  alone — 
In  unshared  rule,  above  the  proud, 

He  sits  upon  His  holy  throne. 

9  Princes  of  peoples  hither  throng, 

People  of  Abrah'm's  God  to  be  : 
The  shields  of  earth  to  God  belong — 
Exalted  high  o'er  all  is  He. 


XLVIII  THE  PSALMS.  89 


G 


PSALM    XLVIII. 

OD  is  great,  and  only  great  ; 
Be  His  praise  proportionate 
In  the  City  of  our  God, 
In  the  Place  of  His  abode, 
In  the  Mount  of  Holiness, 
Magnify  His  Name  and  bless  ! 


2  Rare  and  beautiful  for  site, 
Earth's  chief  wonder  and  delight 

3  Is  Mount  Zion  :  God  is  known 
For  a  refuge  there  alone  : 
City,  for  defence  renowned, 
Castles,  gates,  and  walls  around. 

4  Kings,  assembled,  on  her  gazed, 

5  Hastened  then  away  amazed. 

6  By  dismay  and  grief  o'erta'en, 
Like  a  travailing  woman's  pain  ; 

7  Like  the  ships  of  Tarshish  broke 
By  the  east-wind's  dreadful  stroke. 

3   As  we  've  heard,  so  we  have  seen, 
In  Jehovah's  City  clean, 
By  His  presence  holy  made — 
Its  foundations  by  Him  laid 
On  the  everlasting  flint, 
Which  no  violence  can  dint. 


90  THE  PSALMS.  XLIX 

9   In  Thy  Temple,  Lord,  oft  sought, 
On  Thy  kindness  we  have  thought. 

10   To  the  earth's  remotest  ends 

Praise  of  Thy  great  Name  extends. 

n   Let  the  City  of  Thy  choice 
In  Thy  righteousness  rejoice  ! 

12  Compass  Zion,  she  is  ours  ; 

Walk  about  her  ;  count  her  towers  ; 

13  Mark  her  bulwarks  ;  note  ye  well 
All  her  palaces,  to  tell 

14  To  your  sons  her  strength  and  pride  : 
God  till  death  will  be  our  Guide. 


PSALM     XLIX. 

ALL  men,  where'er  ye  dwell,  give  ear — 
Both  high  and  low,  both  rich  and  poor  ; 

3  While  I  upon  my  harp  make  clear 

4  Dark  truths,  discredited  but  sure  : 

5  In  evil  days,  why  should  I  dread 

Crafty  supplanters  of  my  right  ? 

6  Who,  glorying  in  their  wealth,  are  led 

To  trust  in  gold's  imagined  might. 

7  No  one  his  brother  can  redeem, 

A  ransom  give  to  God  for  him  ; 
When  death  arrests  life's  flowing  stream, 
And  rigid  grow  each  joint  and  limb  : 


XLIX  THE  PSALMS.  9 1 

8  When  strikes  the  hour,  a  moment  more 

Too  costly  is  for  him  to  buy  ; 

9  However  great  his  golden  store, 

Though  all  were  his  beneath  the  sky. 

to  Yea,  he  shall  see  it  ;  wise  men  die — 
The  fool,  the  brutish  too,  bereft 
Of  brief  pre-eminence  and  rule, 

The  wealth  they  prize  to  others  left. 

ii   Their  inward  thought  is,  that  their  fame 
And  houses  will  forever  last  : 
They  call  their  lands  by  their  own  name 
To  tell  their  greatness  in  the  past. 

12  But  man  in  honor  does  not  stay  ; 

He  's  like  the  beasts  that  perish  all  ; 

13  Though  men  approve  their  foolish  way, 

And  their  vain  sayings  wisdom  call. 

14  They  are  like  sheep  the  shepherd,  Death, 

Gathers  in  Sheol's  gloomy  fold, 
Found  in  the  morning  without  breath  ; 
While  live  th'  upright  strong  and  bold. 

Sheol  their  beauty  shall  devour, 

And  of  their  frame  shall  nothing  leave  : 

15  But  God  my  soul  shall  from  hell's  power 

Deliver,  and  shall  me  receive. 


92  THE  PSALMS, 

16  Fear  not,  should  chance  on  one  convey 

Riches  and  honors  without  end  ; 

17  He  dying  carries  naught  away, 

No  honors  after  him  descend. 

18  Though  while  he  lived  he  blessed  his  soul, 

And  though  success  men  glorify  ; 

19  Yet  shall  he  perish  as  a  whole, 

And  in  perpetual  darkness  lie. 

20  Man  that  is  high  in  honor,  yet 

Wisdom  to  learn  no  time  allots, 
Is  like  (his  thoughts  on  vain  things  set) 
The  beast  that  perishes  and  rots. 

PSALM     L. 

THE  Mighty  God,  the  Lord  of  All, 
The  earth  from  east  to  west  doth  call  ; 

2  From  Zion  (His  most  Holy  Shrine, 
Perfect  in  beauty)  God  doth  shine. 

3  Be  sure,  that  when  our  God  shall  come, 
His  holy  lips  will  not  be  dumb  : 

A  fire  before  Him  shall  devour  ; 
Round  and  above  black  tempests  lower. 

4  He  both  the  heavens  and  earth  will  cite 
To  witness  that  He  judges  right  : 

5  "  Let  all  My  saints  assembled  be 
That  made  a  covenant  with  Me." 


THE  PSALMS.  93 

6  The  heavens  declare  His  righteousness, 
And  sinful  earth  the  same  confess  : 
For  God  Himself  is  Judge,  and  He 

Is  perfect  truth  and  equity. 

7  "  Hear,  Israel,  I  thee  arraign  ; 

Will  speak  against  Thee,  and  complain, 
I  that  am  God,  Thy  God — draw  nigh, 
S   Not  for  thy  sacrifices,  I 

"  Will  blame  thee  :  thy  burnt  offering 
Is  frequent  and  most  wearying. 
9   No  bullock  I  from  thee  require  ; 
No  he-goats  from  thy  folds  desire  : 

io  "  Each  beast  is  mine  the  forest  fills  ; 

The  cattle  on  a  thousand  hills  ; 
ii    Birds  of  the  mountains,  one  and  all, 

Beasts  of  the  fields  are  at  my  call. 

12  "  If  hungry,  I  'd  not  ask  for  thine  ; 
The  fulness  of  the  world  is  Mine. 

13  Think  ye  on  flesh  of  bulls  I  feed  ? 
That  blood  of  goats  for  drink  I  need  ! 

14  "  Offer  to  God  thanksgiving ;  pay 
Thy  righteous  vows  ;  and  to  Me  pray 

15  In  trouble,  and  I  '11  answer  thee  ; 
And  thou  with  praise  shalt  honor  Me. 


94  THE  PSALMS.  LI 

16  "But  God  saith  to  the  wicked  :  What 
Hast  thou  to  do,  thy  right  whence  got 
My  statutes  to  declare,  to  take 

17  Into  thy  mouth  laws  thou  dost  break  ? 

18  "  No  vile  companionship  thee  grieves  ; 
Thy  friends  adulterers  are  and  thieves  : 

19  Assassin  thou,  false  to  each  trust, 

20  That  dost  behind  thy  brother  thrust. 

21  "  Meanwhile,  because  I  silence  kept, 
Thou  vainly  thoughtest  justice  slept ; 
But  all  thy  sins,  stript  of  disguise, 

I  will  array  before  thine  eyes. 

22  "  O  ye,  that  God  forget,  attend  ! 
Lest  I  in  pieces  you  shall  rend. 

23  To  him  who  orders  well  his  way 
I  My  salvation  will  display." 

PSALM     LI. 

HAVE  pity  on  me,  Lord  ! 
Withhold  forgiveness  not ; 
According  to  Thy  mercy  spare, 
And  my  trangressions  blot. 

2  O  wash  me  from  my  guilt, 

And  make  me  clean  within  : 

3  For  my  trangressions  I  confess, 

Before  me  is  my  sin. 


LI  THE  PSALMS.  g$, 

4  Against  Thee  only,  I 

This  evil  did  commit  ; 
That  so  thou  may'st  be  justified 
When  I  'm  condemned  for  it. 

5  Lo,  in  iniquity 

I  shapen  was  and  born — 
In  sin  my  mother  me  conceived, 
And  I  'm  a  wietch  forlorn. 

6  Behold,  Thou  hast  desired 

Truth  in  the  inward  part : 
With  wisdom,  secret  and  sincere, 
Acquaint  my  darkened  heart. 

7  Purge  me  with  hyssop,  I 

Shall  then  true  cleansing  know  : 
Me  in  Thy  laver  wash,  and  I 
Shall  whiter  be  than  snow. 

8  Make  me  the  music  hear 

And  gladness  of  Thy  voice  ; 
That  so  the  bones  which  justly  Thou 
Hast  broken  may  rejoice. 

9  My  wickedness  wipe  out  ; 

Thy  face  hide  from  my  sin  ; 
A  clean  heart  me  create  ;  renew 
A  spirit  right  within. 


g6  the  PSALMS.  LI 

ii   O  cast  me  not  away 

From  Thy  dear  presence  ;  take 
Thy  Holy  Spirit  riot  from  me, 
Nor  wholly  me  forsake. 

12  Restore  to  me  the  joy 

Of  Thy  salvation,  Lord  ! 
With  a  free  spirit  me  uphold, 

13  Then  I  will  teach  Thy  word, 

And  other  sinners  shall 
Converted  be  to  Thee  : 

14  O  God  of  my  salvation,  from 

Blood-guiltiness  me  free. 

15  My  tongue  shall  sing  aloud 

Then  of  Thy  righteousness  : 

Lord,  open  Thou  my  lips,  and  I 

Will  praise  to  Thee  address. 

16  For  not  in  sacrifice. 

Nor  in  burnt-offering 
Delightest  Thou,  else  I  would  these 
Unto  Thine  altar  bring. 

17  A  broken  spirit  is 

God's  only  sacrifice  ; 
A  broken  and  a  contrite  heart 
Thou,  Lord,  wilt  not  despise. 


LI  THE  PSALMS.  97 

18  In  Thy  good  pleasure,  Lord  ! 

Do  good  to  Zion  ;  build 
The  ramparts  of  Jerusalem  ; 

19  Then  bullocks  shall  be  killed. 


second  version. — Paraphrase. 

AVE  mercy,  my  offended  God  ; 

According  to  Thy  goodness,  spare  ! 
Let  not  the  judgment  of  Thy  rod 
Sink  me  still  deeper  in  despair  ! 


H 


O  hear,  and  my  transgressions  blot  : 
Save  me  from  my  enormous  guilt  : 

2  Wash  from  my  soul  each  leprous  spot, 

For  Thou  canst  cleanse  me  if  Thou  wilt. 

3  My  sins  are  mountainous,  they  climb 

The  heights  of  air  and  reach  the  skies  ; 
The  ghastly  horror  of  my  crime 
Is  night  and  day  before  my  eyes. 

4  'Gainst  Thee  this  odious  deed  was  done  ; 

I  struck  my  Maker  in  the  face  ; 
No  wonder  blushed  th'  astonished  sun, 
And  earth  saw  shuddering  the  disgrace. 

Were  not  Thy  mercies  as  the  sand, 
I  do  not  know  that  I  would  dare 

Thus  lift  to  Thee  these  bloody  hands, 
In  agonizing  act  of  prayer. 
5 


98  THE  PSALMS.  LI  I 

Though  well,  I  know,  there  cries  to  Thee 
The  crimson  of  th'  accusing  sod, 
14   Hide  not  Thy  face,  deliver  me 

From  my  blood-guiltiness,  O  God  ! 

16  Burnt  offerings  and  sacrifice, 

Didst  Thou  desire,  I  would  impart  : 

17  One  off'ring  Thou  wilt  not  despise — 

A  broken  and  a  contrite  heart. 

10  Create  in  me  a  heart  that 's  pure  ; 

Renew,  transform,  and  make  me  o'er  ; 
Not  otherwise  can  I  be  sure, 
I  will  not  stumble  as  before. 

By  Thy  free  Spirit  me  uphold  ; 
For  I  am  weak  and  sick  and  sad  ; 

12  Forgive,  and  love  me  as  of  old, 

And  give  me  back  the  peace  I  had. 

13  Then  to  transgressors  I  will  teach, 

How  there  are  none  so  far  from  Thee, 
But  Thy  salvation  can  them  reach, 
For,  lo,  it  did  extend  to  me. 


PSALM    L  I  I. 

SONNET. 

WHY  boastest  thou  thyself  in  mischief,  mighty  man? 
The  mercy  of  th'  Almighty  never  fails  ; 
2  Thy  tongue,  like  a  sharp  razor,  wickedness  doth  plan, 
Working  deceitfully,  inventing  tales. 


LI  1 1  THE  PSALMS.  99 

3  Thou  lovest  evil  more  than  good  ;  and  lies 

4  Far  more  than  truth,  O  thou  deceitful  tongue  ! 

5  He  shall  destroy  thee,  fatal  man,  likewise. 

He  shall  lay  hold  of  thee  ;  thou  shalt  be  flung 
Out  of  thy  tent  ;  He  '11  thee  uproot  at  length  : 

6  Good  men  shall  laugh  at  thee,  and  say, 

7  "  Lo,  this  is  he  that  made  not  God  his  strength, 

Making  th'  abundance  of  his  wealth  his  stay." 

8  But  I  am  like  an  olive  tree,  forever  seen 

9  In  the  Lord's  house  still  flourishing  and  green. 


PSALM     LIU. 

THERE  is  no  God  "—the  fool  hath  said, 
His  heart  dictating  to  his  head, 
To  every  noble  feeling  dead. 

Corrupt  are  they,  from  sun  to  sun 
They  foul  iniquity  have  done, 
None  doeth  good,  not  one,  not  one. 

2  The  Lord  looked  down  from  heaven  to  see 
Who  understood,  who  bowed  the  knee  : 
Complete  is  the  apostasy  ; 

3  All  are  gone  back,  all  filthy  found, 
All  vilest  infamies  abound, 

Xo  one  does  good  above  the  ground. 


100  THE  PSALMS.  LIV 

4  Are  evil-doers  mad,  who  eat 
My  people  up  as  they  do  meat, 

And  think  they  need  not  God  entreat  ? 

5  Where  no  fear  was,  great  fear  arose  : 
The  bones  of  the  besieging  foes 

God  scattered — for  despised  were  those. 

6  O  that  from  Zion  might  proceed 
Salvations  great  for  Israel's  need — 
Jacob  made  glad,  from  bondage  freed. 


PSALM     LIV. 

PRESERVE  me  by  Thy  Name,  O  God  ! 
Thy  Name  is  my  Strong  Tower  ; 

2  Defend  me  by  Thy  might  against 

The  cruelty  of  Power. 

3  For  strangers  have  against  me  risen, 

The  violent  have  sought 
To  take  away  my  life — they  have 
Of  God  nor  fear  nor  thought. 

4  God  is  my  Helper,  and  He  yet 

My  life  upholds  ;  and  will 

5  Return  the  evil  of  my  foes 

By  killing  them  who  kill. 


LV  THE  PSALMS.  101 

6  I,  with  a  free-will  offering, 

Will  sacrifice  to  Thee  ; 

7  Will  praise  Thy  Name,  for  praise  is  good, 

For  Thou  hast  rescued  me. 


PSALM     L  V  . 

f~^\  IVE  ear  unto  my  prayer,  O  God  ! 
vIX~     Attend  and  answer  me  : 

2  I  'm  tost  in  my  lament,  and  moan 

Like  an  unquiet  sea  ; 

3  Because  my  foes  iniquity 

On  me  precipitate — 
Revile,  oppress,  and  persecute 
In  anger  and  in  hate. 

4  My  heart  is  pained  within  me,  I 

With  mortal  terrors  quake  : 

5  Trembling  and  fear  lay  hold,  great  waves 

Of  horror  o'er  me  break. 

6  O  that  I  wings  had  like  a  dove, 

Then  would  I  fly  away 

7  And  be  at  rest  :  would  wander  off 

And  in  the  desert  stay. 

3   I  would  me  to  some  shelter  haste, 
Where  safety  can  be  found  ; 
Out  of  the  reach  of  stormy  wind, 
And  tempest  howling  round. 


102  THE  PSALMS.  LV 

9  Destroy,  O  Lord,  divide  their  tongues  ;* 
Confound  their  counsels  ;  thwart 
The  wiley  chief's  state  policies, 
And  his  consummate  art. 

10  For  I  have  in  the  City  seen 
The  circulating  life — 
The  daily  movements  on  the  walls, 
Significant  of  strife. 

ii   All  forms  of  wickedness  are  there, 
Oppressions  and  deceits  ; 
Corruption  's  in  her  market-place, 
And  fraud  in  all  her  streets. 

12  I  could  have  borne  it,  had  it  been 

A  foe  the  evil  did, 
One  hating  me,  for  then  I  would 
From  him  myself  have  hid. 

13  But  it  was  thou,  mine  equal  held, 

My  most  familiar  friend — 

14  Together  we  sweet  counsel  took  ; 

And  we  were  wont  to  wend 

Our  way  together  to  God's  House, 

With  all  the  festal  throng  : 
I  knew  not  then  thy  perfidy 

Would  work  me  shame  and  wrong. 

*  Absalom  had  been  hatching  treason  during  four  years.  Practically  the  City 
was  now  in  his  hands.  David's  fondness  for  his  son,  even  after  the  discovery, 
would  lead  him  to  temporize.    Ahithophel's  defection  was  a  serious  blow. 


LV  THE  PSALMS.  103 

15   Let  sudden  death  upon  them  come  ; 
Earth  swallow  them  alive  ; 
For  all  the  seeds  of  wickedness 
Within  them  lodge  and  thrive. 


16  But  I  will  call  on  God  ;  the  Lord 

Will  save  me  from  His  throne  : 

17  Evening  and  morning  and  at  noon 

I  will  complain  and  moan. 

18  He  hath  redeemed  my  soul  in  peace, 

For  me  deliverance  wrought  ; 
Of  doubtful  battle  turned  the  scale, 
For  many  'gainst  me  fought. 

19  God  shall  yet  hear  and  answer  them  ; 

He  Judge  sits  from  of  old  : 
Having  no  changes,  and  no  fear, 
They  've  grown  in  sinning  bold  : 

20  He  has  dealt  treacherously,  broke  faith- 

Butter  and  oil  his  words, 

21  All  smooth  and  soft,  but  meaning  war, 

The  conflict  of  drawn  swords. 

22  Thy  burden  cast  upon  the  Lord, 

And  He  will  thee  sustain. 
The  righteous  man  shall  ne'er  be  moved 
But  stablished  shall  remain, 


104  THE  PSALMS.  LV1 

23  While  bloody  and  deceitful  men 
Shall  not  live  half  their  days, 
Plunged  by  Thy  hand  into  th'  abyss — 
I  '11  trust  in  Thee  always. 

PSALM     LVI. 

BE  merciful,  O  God,  to  me, 
For  man  would  me  devour  : 

2  I  am  hard  pressed,  for  many  join 

To  get  me  in  their  power. 

3  What  time  I  am  afraid,  I  then 

Will  put  my  trust  in  Thee  ; 

4  And,  reassured,  I  '11  cease  to  fear 

What  flesh  can  do  to  me. 

5  All  the  day  long  they  wrest  my  words, 

Their  thoughts  are  full  of  hate  ; 

6  Gathered  in  bands  they  mark  my  steps, 

In  ambush  for  me  wait. 

7  Would-be  supplanters  of  my  right, 

Do  thou  upon  them  frown  : 
Prevent  iniquitous  escape, 
And  cast  the  peoples  down. 

8  Thou  counted  hast  my  wandering  steps, 

Now  on  my  sorrows  look  ; 

Into  Thy  bottle  put  my  tears — 

Are  they  not  in  Thy  book  ? 


LVII  THE  PSALMS.  105 

9  Then  shall  mine  enemies  turn  back, 
When  I  to  God  have  cried  ; 
And  this  I  say  because  I  know 
That  He  is  on  my  side. 

In  God  I  '11  trust  ;  Jehovah's  word, 

10  Theme  of  my  praise  shall  be  ; 

11  Because  I  've  trusted,  I'll  not  fear 

What  man  can  do  to  me. 

12  Thy  vows  upon  me  are,  O  God  ! 

Thank-offerings  I  will  pay  : 

13  To  Thee  I  owe  it  that  I  still 

Enjoy  the  light  of  day. 

PSALM     LVII. 

BE  merciful  to  me,  O  God  ! 
Where  Thy  great  wings  their  shadow  cast, 
There  shalt  my  place  of  refuge  be, 
Till  these  calamities  are  past. 

2  I  '11  cry  to  God,  the  Mighty  One, 

Whose  love  ne'er  stops  short  of  its  end — 
Completing  what  it  has  begun — 

3  And  He  from  heaven  shall  swiftly  send 

Mercy  and  Truth,  celestial  powers, 
From  His  right  hand  my  life  to  save, 

To  quell  the  monster  that  devours, 
And  snatch  me  from  a  cruel  grave. 


106  THE  PSALMS.  LVIL 

4  My  soul  fierce  lions  is  among  ; 

I  must  lie  down,  distraught  with  fears, 
Midst  fiery  ones — a  sword  their  tongue, 
Arrows  their  teeth  and  pointed  spears. 

5  Be  Thou  exalted,  God  Most  High, 

Above  all  praise,  all  thought  above, 
Above  the  earth,  above  the  sky, 

High  seated  on  Thy  Throne  of  Love  ! 

6  They  for  my  steps  prepared  a  net  ; 

They  bowed  my  soul,  they  dug  a  pit — 
The  trap  which  they  for  me  had  set 
They  fell  into  the  midst  of  it. 

7  My  heart  is  fixed,  my  heart  is  fixed, 

I  will,  O  God,  Thy  praises  sing  : 

8  Awake,  my  tongue  !     With  voice  be  mixed,, 

O  harp  and  lyre,  your  every  string. 

9  I  '11  wake  the  dawn  !    I  '11  celebrate 

Thy  praise  among  the  nations,  Lord  ! 
io  For  high  Thy  mercy  is  and  great, 

And  true  and  faithful  is  Thy  word. 

ii   Be  Thou  exalted,  God  Most  High, 

Above  all  praise,  all  thought  above, 
Above  the  earth,  above  the  sky, 

High  seated  on  Thy  Throne  of  Love  ! 


LVIII  THE  PSALMS,  107 

PSALM      LVIII. 

HOW  is  it,  judges,  ye  sit  dumb, 
When  crime  and  wrong  before  you  come — 
Silent  what  time  ye  ought  to  speak  ? 

2  Who  equity  and  right  betray, 
Work  wickedness,  corruptly  weigh 

Out  violence  unto  the  weak. 

3  Men  from  the  womb  devoid  of  worth, 
Habitual  liars  from  their  birth, 

With  serpent's  deadly  poison  filled  : 

4  Like  adder  deaf  that  stops  her  ear, 

5  And  will  the  charmer's  voice  not  hear, 

Howe'er  the  charmer  may  be  skilled. 

6  Lord  !  crush  their  teeth  ;  the  grinders  break 
Of  the  young  lions  ;  and  them  make 

7  Like  water  hurrying  fast  away  : 
Like  arrow  snapped  upon  the  bow, 

8  Like  snails  dissolving  as  they  go, 

Abortions  that  ne'er  saw  the  day. 

9  Before  your  pots  can  feel  the  thorn, 
On  swiftest  whirlwind  shall  be  borne 

The  burning  and  the  green  alike  : 
10  The  righteous  shall  rejoice,  when  he 
God's  holy  arm  revealed  shall  see, 
Audacious  wickedness  to  strike. 


108  THE  PSALMS.  LIX 

ii   Seeing  His  judgments,  men  will  say  : 
"  There  is  full  recompense  and  pay, 

For  men  of  piety  and  worth — 
He  blesses  them,  and  calls  them  His, 
Whereby  it  is  made  plain,  there  is 
A  God  that  judges  in  the  earth." 


PSALM     LIX. 

DELIVER  me  from  those, 
O  God,  who  are  my  foes  ; 

2  Above  their  utmost  reach  set  me  on  high  ! 

Save  me  from  men  of  blood, 
The  banded  foes  of  good, 

3  Strong  ones  who  for  my  life  in  ambush  lie  ! 

It  is  not  for  my  fault 

4  They  run,  prepare  assault  : 
Awake  to  meet  me,  Lord,  their  malice  see  ! 

5  O  Thou  Unspeakable  ! 
Thou  God  of  Israel  ! 

The  heathen  smite,  spare  none  who  traitors  be. 

6  At  evening  they  return, 
Of  me  they  nothing  learn  ; 

They  howl  like  dogs,  and  round  the  city  go  ; 

7  They  belch  out  evil  words, 
That  cutting  are  as  swords, 

"For  who  doth  hear?"  they  say,  "and  who  doth  know  ?' 


LIX  THE  PSALMS.  IO9 

8  But  Thou  shalt  laugh  at  them  ; 
Shalt  mock  them  and  contemn  : 

9  P  11  wait  on  Thee,  O  Thou  who  art  my  Strength  ! 

For  Thou  art  my  High  Place, 

10  Wilt  meet  me,  God  of  Grace, 

And  give  me  triumph  o'er  my  foes  at  length. 

11  Lord  !  slay  them  not  ;  lest  yet 
My  people  should  forget, 

Scatter  and  bring  them  down,  O  Lord,  our  Shield  ! 

12  Whose  mouth,  whose  lips  are  sin  : 
Let  them  be  taken  in 

Their  pride,  and  for  their  blasphemies  revealed. 

13  Thine  anger  on  them  pour, 
Consume  till  they  're  no  more  ; 

And  let  them  know  that   God  in  Israel  rules  : 
Let  the  report  go  forth 
To  east,  west,  south  and  north, 

For  warning  to  all  atheists  and  fools. 

14  They  will  return  at  eve  ; 
Sullen  and  snarling,  grieve  ; 

Howl  like  a  dog,  and  go  the  city  round  : 

15  They'll  wander  all  the  night, 
Until  the  morning  light, 

Wolfish  and  lean  in  quest  of  prey  not  found. 

16  But  I  '11  the  morning  crowd 
With  anthems  sweet  and  loud, 


HO  THE  PSALMS.  LX 

In  praise  of  Thy  dear  might  and  faithfulness  : 
17  For  Thou  in  danger's  hour 

Hast  still  been  my  High  Tower, 
A  Refuge  in  the  day  of  my  distress. 

PSALM    LX  . 

THOU,  God,  hast  cast  us  off  ; 
Thou  hast  us  broken  down  ; 
Thou  hast  been  angry — from  Thy  face 
O  drive  away  Thy  frown  ! 

2  Thou  shaken  hast  the  land  ; 

Hast  it  with  earthquakes  rent  ; 
Great  breaches  made,  it  trembles  still 
With  dread  astonishment. 

3  Thou  hast  Thy  people  showed 

O  many  a  hard  thing  ! 
Hast  for  our  sins  made  us  to  drink 
The  wine  of  staggering. 

4  To  them  who  fear  Thee,  yet 

Thou  hast  a  banner  given, 
That  it  may  be,  because  of  truth, 
Displayed  in  sight  of  heaven. 

5  That  Thy  beloved  ones 

May  be  delivered,  save 
With  thy  right  hand,  and  o'er  us  let 
Victorious  ensigns  wave. 


LX  THE  PSALMS.  1 1 1 

6  God  in  His  holiness 

Has  spoken — I,  therefore, 
Will  triumph  in  the  confidence 
He  will  the  lost  restore  : 

Then  the  reconquered  Land 

I  will  again  divide — 
Shechem  and  Succoth* — and  mete  out 

His  part  to  every  Tribe. 

7  Mine  's  Gilead  ;  and  mine  's 

Manassah's  either  half  ; 
My  head's  defence  is  Ephraim  ; 
Judah  's  my  royal  staff ; 

$   Moab  my  washpot  is, 

Wherein  I  '11  wash  my  feet ; 
O'er  Edom  will  extend  my  sway  ;. 
Philistia  will  unseat. 

9  Who  will  me  bring  into 
Edom's  fenced  capital  ? 
Surmount  its  muniment  of  rocks 
Impregnable  high  wall  ? 

io  Thou  who  didst  cast  us  off, 

Wilt  Thou  Thyself  not  lead  ? 
Wilt  Thou  not  go  forth  with  our  hosts, 
And  help  us  in  our  need  ? 

*  Representing  the  two  great  divisions  of  the  Country,  east  and  west  of  the 
Jordan,  where  Jacob  pitched  his  tent  on  his  return  from  exile. 


TI2  THE  PSALMS,  LXI 

ii   Give  us  Thy  help  !     In  vain 
We  on  man's  help  repose  : 
Through  God  we  shall  do  valiantly, 
For  He  '11  tread  down  our  foes. 


H 


PSALM    LXI. 

EAR  Thou,  O  God,  my  cry  ; 
A  mourning  exile,  I 
From  Zion  weeping  pass  and  its  encircling  hills — 
Beyond  the  bounding  blue 
That  terminates  the  view 
To  where  a  prospect  strange  a  new  horizon  fills. 

2  From  thence  I  to  Thee  call 
Who  art  my  all  in  ail — 

Homesick,    o'erwhelmed,  and    faint  at  heart — and 
Thou  '11  me  lead 

To  craggy  rock  and  high, 
Up  towering  toward  the  sky, 

3  Too  high  for  foes  to  reach — sure  refuge  in  my  need. 

4  To  dwell  I  were  content 
Aye  in  Thy  Holy  Tent  ; 

Kept  safe  beneath  the  shade  and  shelter  of  Thy  wings: 

5  For  Thou,  O  God,  hast  heard 
My  vows,  and  pledged  Thy  word 

To  pass  the  heritage  to  my  descendant  kings. 


LXII  THE  PSALMS.  1 1 5 

6  The  King's  life,  hale  and  strong, 
To  ages  Thou  'It  prolong  : 

7  He  before  God  shall  sit  enthroned  forevermore, 

Mercy  and  Truth  shall  be 
For  his  security — 

8  So  will  I  to  Thy  Name  eternal  praises  pour. 

PSALM     LXII. 

MY  soul  is  silent  unto  God, 
My  Rock  is  only*  He, 

2  My  sole  Salvation  and  High  Tower — 

I  shall  not  shaken  be. 

3  How  long  will  ye  set  on  a  man, 

All  banded  him  to  slay, 
Like  bowing  wall  or  tottering  fence, 
Which  yet  does  not  give  way  ? 

4  Only  from  his  imperial  seat 

To  thrust  him  down  they  plan  ; 
Delight  in  lies,  bless  with  their  mouth,. 
But  inwardly  him  ban. 

5  Only  in  God  confide,  my  soul  ! 

On  Him  my  hope  I  base — 

6  He  only  is  my  Rock,  my  Rest, 

Salvation  and  High  Place. 

*  The  repetition  of  the  word  "  only  "  is  characteristic  of  this  Psalm. 


114  THE  PSALMS.  LXIII 

7  My  honor  and  salvation  rest 

On  God  ;  I  firm  shall  stand — 
Rock  of  my  Strength,  my  Refuge,  He 
Guards  me  on  every  hand. 

8  Ye  people,  put  your  trust  in  Him, 

At  all  times,  and  ye  thus 
Will  have  sure  proof  how  only  God 
A  Refuge  is  to  us. 

9  Only  a  breath  are  men,  both  those 

Of  low  and  high  degree  ; 
Empty  and  false,  they  are  when  weighed 
Lighter  than  vanity. 

io  Trust  in  oppression  not ;  nor  grow 
In  robbery  vain  ;  nor  let, 
In  case  your  wealth  and  power  increase, 
Your  heart  thereon  be  set. 

ii   Once  has  God  said,  twice  have  I  heard  ; 

All  power  to  Him  pertains, 
12  And  mercy  too,  and  He  to  each, 

Right  recompense  ordains. 


o 


PSALM     LXIII. 

GOD,  my  God  Thou  art 
I  dare  to  call  Thee  mine  : 
My  thirsty  soul  and  longing  heart 
For  Thy  sweet  presence  pine. 


LXIII  THE  PSALMS,  1 1 5 

Here  in  a  land  of  drought, 
Where  all  the  brooks  are  dry, 

Methinks  I  perish  must,  without 
Some  token  Thou  art  nigh. 

2  Grant,  Lord,  that  I  may  now 

Thy  power  and  glory  see, 
As  in  the  Sanctuary  Thou 
Hast  shown  them  unto  me. 

3  Better  than  life  Thy  love  : 

I  '11  bless  Thee  all  my  days  : 
Will  in  Thy  Name  to  Thee  above 
Lift  up  my  hands  in  praise. 

My  hungry  soul  shall  feed 

4  On  viands  rich  and  choice, 

5  And — satisfied  my  every  need — 

I  will  in  Thee  rejoice. 

6  Upon  my  bed  at  night, 

Will  meditate  on  Thee  ; 
Recall  the  mercies  of  the  light — 
Thy  goodness  unto  me. 

7  Rejoicing  in  the  shade 

Of  Thy  protecting  wing  : 
-3   My  eager  soul  shall  not  be  stayed, 
On  Thee  hard  following. 


THE  PSALMS.  LXIV 

9   But  those  who  would  me  kill 
10       Shall  by  the  sword  of  power 
Be  slain,  and  howling  jackals  will 
Their  carcasses  devour. 

ii   In  God  I  will  rejoice, 

Their  boast  who  by  Him  swear  : 
Stopped  is  the  mouth,  stilled  is  the  voice 
Of  them  that  lies  declare. 

PSALM     LXIV. 

OGOD  !  hear  my  complaint  and  prayer, 
And  make  my  threatened  life  Thy  care  : 

2  O  hide  me  from  the  secret  league, 
The  wicked  masters  of  intrigue, 
Who  whisper  first,  then  speak  aloud 
Their  treason  to  the  noisy  crowd. 

3  Their  tongue  they  sharpen  as  a  sword  ; 
Their  arrow  -fit  (a  bitter  word) 

4  To  shoot — naught  fearing — th'  upright, 
Shoot  suddenly,  concealed  from  sight. 

5  They  strengthen  their  malicious  plot ; 
Lay  snares,  quite  sure  they  seen  are  not. 

6  Fine  villainies,  far-sought  and  nice, 
They  count  an  exquisite  device  : 
"All  things  are  ready  now  and  ripe, 

We  have  him,"  say  they,  "  in  our  gripe. '* 

7  But  God  has  with  a  surer  aim 

Shot  them — the  shooter  made  the  game. 


LXV  THE  PSALMS,  I  1 7 

8  Smitten  they  stumble  ;  they  are  stung 
With  their  own  sharp  envenomed  tongue. 

9  They  flee  away,  and  every  one 

That  sees,  admires  what  God  has  done. 
10  The  righteous  in  the  Lord  shall  trust  ; 
In  Him  shall  triumph  all  the  just. 

PSALM     LXV. 

PERPETUAL  worship  for  Thee  waits 
Within  hushed  Zion's  Temple-gates — 
A  prayerful  silence,  Lord  !  and  then 
Breaks  forth  the  uttered  praise  of  men  ; 
Who  hither  come,  before  Thee  bow, 
And  punctually  pay  their  vow. 

2  O  Thou  who  hearest  prayer,  to  Thee 
Must  all  flesh  come,  who  blest  would  be  ; 

3  Conscious  iniquities  assail, 

But  our  transgressions  Thou  wilt  veil. 
Heal  our  backslidings  when  we  stray, 
And  purge  our  many  sins  away. 

4  Happy  the  man  whom  Thou  even  here 
Shalt  choose,  and  to  Thyself  bring  near  ; 
That  in  Thy  House  he  may  abide, 

And  with  its  good  be  satisfied  ; 
May  in  Thy  Holy  Temple  rest 
A  permanent  and  honored  guest. 


THE   PSALMS.  LXV 

5  By  fearful  things  in  righteousness — 
Mercies  and  judgments  numberless — 
O  God  of  our  salvation,  Thou 

Wilt  answer  us  :  Be  gracious  now  ! 
Ends  of  the  earth  confide  in  Thee, 
And  dwellers  on  the  far-off  sea. 

6  Girded  with  might,  Thou  dost  set  fast 

By  Thy  great  strength  the  mountains  vast  : 

7  Dost  roaring  seas  hush  at  Thy  will, 
And  tumult  of  the  peoples  still  : 

8  Dwellers  on  farthest  shores  are  made 
By  tokens  of  Thy  power  afraid. 

Thou  makest  with  rich  purple  clad 
Th'  outgoings  of  the  morning  glad  ; 
With  golden  splendors  renderest  gay 
The  footsteps  of  departing  day, 
Like  bird  with  outspread  go rgeou sowing, 
The  bards  of  morn  and  evening  sing. 

9  Thou  floodest  all  the  fields,  by  which 
The  earth  Thou  greatly  dost  enrich  : 
Fed  by  th'  unfailing  streams  of  God, 
With  mighty  marvels  teems  the  sod — 

io  Its  furrows  drenched,  made  soft  with  showers. 
How  spring  the  grain,  the  grass,  the  flowersj 

ii   With  goodness  Thou  hast  crowned  the  year  ; 
Where  Thy  feet  pass  fair  sights  appear — 


LXVI  THE   PSALMS.  H9 

12  The  wilderness  fat  pastures  yields, 

13  Joy  girds  the  hills,  flocks  clothe  the  fields, 
Grain  all  the  valleys  covering — 

They  shout  for  joy,  they  also  sing. 

PSALM     LXVI. 

SHOUT  unto  God,  all  lands, 
His  majesty  proclaim  ! 

2  Ascribe  to  Him  the  honor  due, 

And  glorify  His  Name  ! 

3  How  fearful  are  Thine  acts  : 

Through  knowledge  of  Thy  power, 
Thine  enemies  submission  feign, 
And  at  Thy  footstool  cower. 

4  All  lands  shall  worship  Thee, 

The  Universal  Lord — 
They  shall  sing  praises  to  Thy  Name 
On  harp  and  decachord. 

5  Come,  see  what  He  has  done  ! 

The  dreadful  power  of  God — 

6  He  turned  the  sea  into  dry  land, 

They  Jordan  crossed  dry  shod  : 

Then  we  rejoiced  in  Him. 

7  He  rules  on  high  and  here, 

His  eyes  keep  watch  the  nations  o'er — 
Let  the  rebellious  fear  : 


120  THE   PSALMS.  LXVI 

8  Ye  nations,  bless  our  God  ! 

Be  praise  to  Him  preferred, 

9  Who  holds  our  soul  in  life,  nor  lets 

Our  firm-set  foot  be  stirred. 

io  For  Thou  hast  proved  us,  Lord  ! 

Tried  Us  as  silver  's  tried  ; 
ii    Brought  us  within  the  hunter's  net, 

Our  loins  with  burdens  plied. 

12  Hast  suffered  men  to  ride 

Triumphant  o'er  our  head  : 
Through  fire  and  flood  we  went,  but  Thou 
To  a  rich  place  hast  led. 

13  I  with  burnt  offerings 

Into  Thy  House  will  come  : 

14  Of  vows  I  made  in  my  distress, 

Will  pay  the  perfect  sum. 

15  I  will  burnt  offerings 

Of  fatlings  bring  to  Thee  ; 
Incense  of  rams,  bulls  and  he-goats 
Shall  my  oblation  be. 

16  Come,  hear,  and  I  '11  declare, 

All  ye  that  fear  the  Lord, 
That  which  He  for  my  soul  has  done. 
The  favor  on  me  poured. 


LXVII  THE  PSALMS.  121 

17  I  said — what  time  I  cried, 

And  offered  praise  sincere — 

18  If  in  my  heart  I  sin  regard 

I  know  He  will  not  hear. 

19  But,  verily,  God  heard  : 

His  Name  thrice  blessed  be, 

20  Who  hath  not  turned  away  my  prayer, 

His  mercy  kept  from  me. 


B 


PSALM     LXVI  I. 
E  merciful  and  bless, 


Eternal  God  of  grace  ! 

Upon  us  let  the  brightness  fall 

And  gladness  of  Thy  Face. 

2  That  Thy  most  blessed  way 

May  on  the  earth  be  known  ; 
Thy  saving  power  and  goodness  be 
Among  all  nations  shown. 

3  Let  peoples  of  all  lands 

In  praise  find  sweet  employ  ; 

4  The  various  nations  one  and  all 

Be  glad  and  sing  for  joy  ! 

For  Thou  with  equity 

Shalt  judge  them  from  above  ; 

And  they  shall  see  stretched  over  them 
The  sceptre  of  Thy  love. 
6 


22  THE   PSALMS.  LXVIII 

5  Let  Thee  the  peoples  thank, 

6  For  bounties  of  the  year  ; 

7  Let  the  extremities  of  earth 

Be  made  to  learn  thy  fear. 


PSALM     LXVIII. 


G- 


OD  shall  arise  and  scatter  them, 
And  push  His  flying  foes  : 
As  smoke  is  driven,  Thou  wilt  them  drive  ; 

As  melts  away  and  goes 
Th'  unstable  wax  before  the  fire, 
So  pass  the  wicked  in  Thine  ire. 


They  perish  ;  but  the  righteous  shall 

Exceedingly  rejoice. 
Sing  ye  to  God,  sing  to  His  Name 

With  harp  and  lute  and  voice  ! 
Cast  up,  prepare  a  way  for  Him, 
Who  rides  upon  the  Cherubim  ! 


*  This  magnificent  Battle  Hymn,  or  Triumphal  Song,  composed  in  celebration 
of  some  recent  victory  or  success  achieved  through  Divine  Help,  is  made  com- 
memorative of  gracious  interventions  and  deliverances  in  the  past,  outlining  the 
history  of  Israel  from  the  exodus  to  the  full  establishment  of  the  monarchy  on 
Zion.  Jehovah  is  described  (v.  4)  as  "  riding  through  the  deserts''''  [not  "upon  the 
heavens1'1  as  the  Common  Version  has  it]  in  the  manner  of  a  king  marching  at  the 
head  of  his  army.  Special  reference  is  made  (vs.  7-10)  to  the  journeying  through 
the  Wilderness,  where  the  "  Cloud,"  otherwise,  "  the  Glory  of  the  Lord,"  the  visi- 
ble manifestation  of  the  Divine  Presence  accompanying  the  Ark  with  its  symbolic 
.Cherubim,  was  the  signal  to  all  the  people  to  move  forward  or  to  halt.  If  by 
Cherubim  be  understood  Nature  (as  argued  in  Note,  p.  27) ;  and  by  God's  en- 
thronement above  them,  the  subjection  of  all  things  to  Him,  we  see  how  it 
belongs,  not  only  to  poetic  but  intrinsic  fitness,  that  the  announcement  of  any 
special  Appearance  of  the  great  Lord  of  All  should  be  attended  with  extraordi- 
nary natural  phenomena— such  as  thunderings  and  lightnings  and  earthquakes, 
testifying  to  a  mighty,  trembling,  and  adoring  awe.     We  think,  moreover,  that 


LXVIII  THE  PSALMS.  123 

Not  up  the  skyey  steeps,  star-paved, 

His  sacred  car  He  guides  ; 
Not  o'er  the  ample  plains  of  heaven — 

He  through  the  desert  rides 
By  His  Name  Jah  :     Unto  Him  sing, 
Who  leads  you  in  your  journeying. 

5  God  in  His  Sanctuary  is, 

The  widow's  Judge  and  Friend  ; 
A  Father  of  the  fatherless 
To  care  for  and  defend  : 

6  No  more  the  solitary  roam, 

He  gives  fixed  dwellings  and  a  home. 

The  sons  of  bondage  He  brings  forth, 

And  blesses  with  full  hand  : 
But  the  rebellious  and  perverse 

Inhabit  a  parched  land  — 
The  prisoner,  who  hugs  his  chains, 
In  bondage  rightfully  remains. 

Verse  17  admits  of  being  construed  in  the  same  sense.  It  is  there'said,  "The 
chariots  of  God  are  myriad-fold,  thousand  upon  thousands;  the  Lord  is  among 
them — Sinai  in  the  Sanctuary,"  meaning  that  the  vehicles  of  Divine  Power  as 
found  in  Nature  defy  enumeration  ;  that  God  is  a  God  of  law  ;  that  the  Ark  of 
the  Covenant,  containing  the  Decalogue,  having  the  Mercy-Seat  above,  is  signfi- 
cant  of  the  fact  that  even  mercy  rests  on  law,  or,  as  it  is  poetically  expressed, 
"  Sinai  is  in  the  Sanctuary."  While  the  close  conjunction  of  the  Cherubim,  so 
close  as  to  form  a  part  of  it  (*.  e.,  the  Mercy-Seat),  is  fitted  to  suggest  that  the 
God  of  Nature  is  likewise  the  God  of  Grace. 

The  true  reading  of  Verse  5  is,  "The  Lord  gives  the  word:  the  women  that 
publish  the  glad  tidings  [of  victory]  are  a  mighty  host,"  as  in  Ex.  15  :  29  ;  2  Sam. 
18  :  16.  The  accepted  reading  of  Vtr->e  12  is,  "  Will  ye  lie  among  the  shecp-folds- 
as  the  wings  of  a  dove  covered  with  silver  and  her  pinions  with  yellow  gold  ?"— 
the  allusion  being  to  Judges  5  :  16,  where  Deborah  in  her  song  rebukes  the  recre- 
ancy of  Reuben,  who  luxuriated  in  the  selfish  indulgence  of  a  soft  pastoral  repose, 
unsoiled  with  the  dust  of  conflict,  while    others,  like  Zebulun  and  Naphtali  were 


124  THE  PSALMS.  LXVIII 

7  O  God  !  when  through  the  wilderness 

Their  march  Thy  people  made, 

8  Earth  trembled,  and  the  heavens  dropped  rain, 

And  Sinai  was  afraid: 
All  Nature  knew  Thy  presence  well — 
The  mighty  God  of  Israel ! 

9  Thou  didst,  O  God,  Thy  heritage 

Refresh  with  plenteous  rain  ; 
Didst  visit  it  when  it  was  faint, 

And  make  it  strong  again  : 
io  Thy  flock  therein  was  made  to  bide  ; 
And  for  the  poor  Thou  didst  provide. 

ii   God  gives  the  word,  the  battle  won, 
Women,  a  mighty  throng, 
Triumphing,  publish  the  good  news, 
With  timbrel,  dance  and  song. 

12  The  kings  of  armies  flee,  they  flee, 
Rich  spoils  rewarding  victory. 

13  Will  ye  among  the  sheepfolds  lie 

In  pastoral  repose — 
Like  bright-winged  dove  in  her  soft  nest, 
Not  helping  'gainst  God's  foes — 

14  What  time  He  puts  leagued  kings  to  flight 
On  Zalmon,  made  with  bones  snow-white  ? 

jeoparding  their  lives  unto  the  death  in  the  high  places  of  the  field."  Verses  n- 
14  belong  apparently  to  the  period  of  the  Judges ;  verses  15-19  to  the  establish- 
ment of  the  monarchy  and  the  national  worship  on  Mt.  Zion  ;  verses  24-27  de- 
scribe the  triumphal  procession  ;  verses"28-3i  point  to  the  universal  conquest  yet  to 
come.  In  the  concluding  verses  (vs.  32-35)  all  nations  are  called  on  to  unite  in 
praise  to  the  God  of  Israel. 


LXVIII  THE  PSALMS.  1 25 

15  Mountain  of  Bashan,   mountain  high, 

Proud  peak  and  pinnacle  ! 

16  Why  look  askance  ye  at  the  Mount 

Where  God  vouchsafes  to  dwell  ? 
If  height  is  less,  by  easier  road 
We  climb  the  Hill  of  His  Abode. 

17  Zion  is  strong,  God  in  her  midst  : 

His  chariots  of  war 
Thousands  on  thousands,  myriads 

Incalculable,  are  ; 
Approach  that  Sacred  Place  with  awe, 
Where  God  of  Sinai  guards  His  Law. 

18  Thou  hast  ascended,  Lord,  on  high, 

The  captured  captive  led  ; 
For  distribution  gifts  received — 

The  conquest  perfected. 
Preserve,  while  men  Thy  triumphs  hymn, 
Thy  place  between  the  Cherubim. 

19  Blessed  be  God  who  daily  bears 

The  burden  on  us  laid — 

20  Ev'n  God,  who  our  salvation  is, 

Our  ever-present  aid  ; 
We  to  Jehovah  owe  our  breath, 
And  manifold  escapes  from  death. 

21  But  God  will  crush  the  head  of  foes  ; 

In  vain  the  wicked  flee  : 

22  He  said  :  "From  Bashan  I  '11  bring  back 

From  depths  ev'n  of  the  sea, 


126  THE  PSALMS.  LXV1II 

The  fugitives  o'er  Jordan's  flood, 

23  That  thou  may'st  dip  thy  foot  in  blood." 

24  They  Thy  triumphal  goings  saw  ; 

Thy  goings,  God  our  King  ! 
Thine  entrance  in  the  Holy  Place  ; 

25  While  those  engaged  to  sing, 

Went  foremost  praising  ;    harpers  then  ; 
Maids  beating  timbrels  ;  marching  men. 

26  In  companies  they  bless  the  Lord, 

Tribes  that  from  Israel  spring  : 

27  There,  is  the  ruler  Benjamin  ; 

There,  Judah's  following  ; 
There,  banners  of  the  princes  fly 
Of  Zebulon  and  Naphtali. 

28  That  we  be  strong  is  God's  command — 

Strengthen  what  thou  hast  wrought. 

29  To  Thee,  Lord,  at  Jerusalem, 

Shall  gifts  of  kings  be  brought. 

30  Egypt  rebuke,  and  scatter  far 
The  peoples  that  delight  in  war. 

31  Princes  shall  out  of  Egypt  come  ; 

And  Ethiopia  soon 
Shall  stretch  out  eager  hands  to  God, 
And  His  high  praises  tune. 

32  Kingdoms  of  earth  !  praise  Him  who  rides 

33  On  whirling  spheres,  and  planets  guides  ! 


LXI X  THE  PSA  LMS.  1 2  7 

34  Ascribe  ye  strength  to  God,  your  Strength  ! 

His  majesty  He  shrouds — 
But  high  o'er  Israel  spreads  His  wings, 
And  thunders  in  the  clouds. 

35  Out  of  Thy  holy  places,  Lord, 

The  strength  Thy  people  need,  afford. 


PSALM     L  X  I  X . 

SUCCOR,  O  God  !  and  save 
From  drowning  waters  deep  ! 

2  I  sink  in  mire  of  the  abyss, 

Great  billows  o'er  me  sweep. 

3  With  calling  I  am  tired, 

My  throat  is  parched  and  dry  ; 
Mine  eyes  are  wasted  and  worn  out, 
While  I  wait  Thy  reply. 

4  O  numberless  are  those 

Who  hate  me  without  cause  ; 
They  mighty  are  to  cut  me  cff, 
Despisers  of  Thy  laws. 

5  My  foolishness  and  sin 

Not  hidden  are  from  Thee  : 

6  Let  them  not,  Lord  !  who  on  Thee  wait 

Be  made  ashamed  through  me. 


128  THE  PSALMS.  LXIX 

7  I  for  Thy  sake  have  borne 

Reviling  and  disgrace  ; 

8  A  stranger  to  my  brethren  been, 

An  alien  to  my  race. 

9  Because  zeal  for  Thy  House 

Within  me  quenchless  burned, 
Those,  who  reproached  Thee,  have  on  me 
Their  sharp  reproaches  turned. 

io  I  wept  and  fasted,  they 

Stood  ready  to  contemn  ; 
I  put  on  sackcloth,  I  became 
A  proverb  unto  them. 

12  I  am  their  public  talk  ; 

Drunkards  make  me  their  song  ; 

13  But,  Lord,  my  prayer  is  unto  Thee, 

Delay  not  answer  long. 

14  Out  of  the  mire  me  raise, 

The  waters  of  my  foes  ; 

15  Let  not  the  deep  me  swallow  up, 

The  pit's  mouth  on  me  close. 

16  Hear,  Lord,  and  answer  me, 

For  Thy  abundant  grace  ; 
In  Thy  compassion  turn  to  me 

17  And  do  not  hide  Thv  face, 


LXIX  THE  FSALMS.  1 29 

For  I  am  in  distress  ; 

Make  haste  me,  Lord,  to  hear  : 

18  Draw  nigh  my  soul  to  ransom  it  : 

Because  my  foes  are  near. 

19  Thou  knowest  my  reproach, 

My  shame  and  my  despite, 
Mine  adversaries  one  and  all 
Are  ever  in  Thy  sight. 

20  Reproach  has  broke  my  heart  ; 

I  'm  full  of  heaviness  ; 
I  looked  for  some  to  pity  me, 
But  all  were  pitiless. 

There  comforters  were  none  ; 
All  men  from  me  did  shrink  ; 

21  They  gave  me  also  gall  for  meat, 

Me  vinegar  to  drink. 


The  Chorus  speaks  :* 

22  Their  table  make  a  snare  ; 

Their  confidence  a  trap  ; 

23  Darken  their  eyes  ;  make  their  loins  shake  ; 

Their  strength  and  vigor  sap  ! 

♦That  Verses  22-28  are  the  utterances  of  another  speaker,  may,  we  think,  be 
confidently  asserted.  For  why  should  the  dramatic  character,  so  freely  accorded 
to  other  Psalms,  be  denied  to  this,  where  it  is  most  needed  ?  Assume  the  exist- 
ence of  two  speakers  and  all  is  clear.  The  words  spoken  no  longer  are  an  offense. 
Instead  of  being  painfully  discordant  with  all  that  precedes  and  follows,  they  are 
seen  to  possess  a  dramatic  propriety  of  the  highest  order,  heightening  immensely 
the  tragic  interest  of  the  whole  composition.      For  they  are  exactly  the  words 


130  THE  PSALMS.  LXIX 

24  On  them  Thine  anger  pour  ; 

25  Make  their  house  desolate  ; 

Let  none  dwell  in  their  tents — because 

26  They  persecute  and  hate 

Him,  Thou  hast  smitten  sore  : 

His  woes  they  tell  with  zest  ; 
Pain  of  his  wounds  they  make  the  theme 

Of  coarse  unfeeling  jest. 

27  Add  sin  to  sin,  heap  guilt  ! 

Let  them  not  pardoned  be  ! 

28  But  blotted  from  the  book  of  life — 

Condemned  by  just  decree. 


which  the  sympathetic  reader  is  burning  to  say.  They  are  the  mildest  possible 
expression  of  an  irrepressible  indignation  which  must  fill  every  virtuous  heart 
let  the  condemnation  concern  whom  it  will.  It  matters  little  who  the  second 
speaker  may  be  supposed  to  represent — whether  it  be  Justice  personified;  or  some 
horrified  spectator,  say  James  or  John,  who  on  one  occasion  were  ready  to  cal 
down  fire  from  heaven  on  the  perpetrators  of  a  slight  affront  put  upon  their 
Master.  Or  was  it  the  weeping  daughters  of  Jerusalem  that  performed  the  office 
of  Chorus  as  described  in  Note  to  Psalm  22,  page  39  ?  For  the  sake  of  the 
argument,  let  us  suppose  the  first  speaker — a  meek  Sufferer — to  be  the  Christ  that 
was  to  come.  We  listen  to  His  prolonged  wail:  how  He  wras  hated  without  cause; 
how  He  was  despised  and  rejected  of  men  ;  became  a  stranger  and  an  alien  to 
His  own  countrymen  who  refused  to  receive  Him;  was  made  a  terror  to  His 
friends;  was  forsaken  and  disowned  by  His  disciples;  how  reproach  broke  His 
most  loving  heart;  how,  hanging  on  the  cross,  vinegar  mixed  with  gall  was  given 
Him  to  drink.  Everybody  must  be  struck  with  the  strict  correspondence  be- 
tween this  recital  and  what  actually  took  place.  But  Christ  prayed  for  forgiveness  _ 
To  suppose  He  imprecated  vengeance  is  to  contradict  the  verity  of  Scripture.  The 
thing  is  impossible.  While  Christ  quotes  and  appropriates  parts  of  this  Psalm 
to  Himself,  the  reader  is  sure  that  verses  5,  6  do  not  belong  to  Him.  May  it  not 
be  that  when  "  holy  men  spake  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost,"  the 
prophetic  utterance  was  sometimes  designedly  mixed  up  with  the  human  and 
personal,  but  in  a  way  to  be  easily  distinguished  ? 


LXX  THE  PSALMS.  1 3 l 

29  I'm  poor  and  sorrowful — 

Lord  !  set  me  safe  on  high, 

30  And  I  will  praise  Thy  Xame  in  song, 

Thank  Thee  and  magnify  ; 

31  And  it  shall  please  Thee  more, 

These  loud  resounding  proofs, 
Than  offered  ox  or  bullock  slain 
With  horns  and  cloven  hoofs. 

32  The  meek  have  seen  with  joy 

A  high  deliverance  wrought  : 
Seekers  of  God  !  be  cheered,  for  you 
Shall  have  th'  assistance  sought. 

33  The  Lord  the  needy  hears, 

The -prisoners  as  well  : 

34  Let  heaven  and  earth  Him  praise,  the  seas 

And  all  that  therein  dwell. 

35  For  God  will  Zion  save  ; 

And  Judah's  cities  build — 

36  The  Land  by  His  true  servants  shall 

Be  occupied  and  tilled. 


D 


PSALM     LXX.* 
ELIVER  me,  O  God  ! 


Lord,  to  my  help  make  haste  ; 
2   Let  them  who  seek  my  life  be  shamed, 
Confounded  and  disgraced. 

*  This  Psalm  is  a  repetition  of  Psalm  xl.  13-17. 


I32  THE  PSALMS.  LXXI 

3  Let  them  be  backward  turned  ; 

Be  to  dishonor  brought  ; 
Turned  back  for  a  reward  of  shame, 
That  say,  Aha  !  for  naught. 

4  Let  all  those  that  Thee  seek. 

With  joy  in  Thee  abide  ! 
Let  such  as  Thy  salvation  love, 
Say,  "  God  be  magnified  !  " 

5  Needy  and  poor  am  I, 

O  Lord,  do  not  delay  ; 
My  Help  and  my  Deliverer, 
Make  haste  to  come  this  way  ! 

PSALM     LXXI. 

I  PUT   my  trust,  Lord  !  in  Thy  Name  : 
O  let  me  never  come  to  shame  ! 

2  Promised  deliverance  I  crave, 
Incline  Thine  ear  to  me,  and  save  ! 

3  A  Rock  of  Habitation  be, 
Where  I  may  come  continually  ! 

Since  Thou  my  rescue  hast  decreed — 
My  Cliff.  My  Fort,  in  time  of  need — 

4  Now  my  deliverance  command 
Out  of  the  wicked's  cruel  hand  ! 

5  Thou  art  my  Hope,  my  Trust — Thy  truth, 
Have  I  relied  on  from  my  youth. 


LXXI  THE  PSALMS.  1 33 

6  Yea,  from  the  womb  have  leaned  on  Thee  ; 


Thou  art  my  praise  continually  ; 
Many  me  as  a  wonder  rate, 

7  But  Thou  'rt  my  Refuge,  strong  and  great  ; 

8  I,  all  the  day,  will  sing  Thy  praise, 
And  to  the  stars  Thy  glory  raise. 

9  Cast  me  not  off  in  my  old  age  : 
When  failing  powers  my  end  presage, 

io  Do  not  forsake  me  :  but  disclose 
How  false  is  the  pretence  of  foes, 

ii   Who  say — their  malice  peeping  through — 
"  There  's  none  to  rescue,  take  !   pursue  !  " 

12  Haste  to  my  help  !     O  be  not  far  ! 

13  Confound,  consume  all  those  who  are 
Foes  of  my  life.     Lay  in  the  dirt 
The  evil  men  that  seek  my  hurt. 

14  But  I  '11  still  hope,  and  thanks  will  pour, 
And  love  and  praise  Thee  more  and  more. 

15  My  mouth  shall  tell  Thy  righteous  acts  ; 
And  all  the  day  rehearse  the  facts 

16  Of  Thy  salvation — mighty  deeds 
Which  all  arithmetic  exceeds — 

I  will  Thy  righteousness  make  known 
And  speak  of  it,  and  it  alone. 

17  Lord  !  from  my  youth  Thou  hast  me  taught 
To  sing  the  wonders  Thou  hast  wrought. 


134  THE  PSALMS.  LXXII 

18  Forsake  me  not,  now  I  am  old — 

I  would  Thy  saving  power  unfold 

To  every  one  that  'is  to  come, 

Ere  yet  my  mouth  and  lips  are  dumb. 

19  Who  is  like  Thee,  so  great,  so  high, 
Whose  righteousness  surmounts  the  sky? 

20  Thou,  who  hast  showed  me  troubles  sore, 
Shalt  quicken  and  again  restore  ; 

21  My  greatness  shalt  make  greater  still, 
And  me  with  every  comfort  fill. 

22  With  psaltery  and  harp  and  voice 

23  I  '11  sing  Thy  praises  and  rejoice  ! 

24  Thy  truth  and  faithfulness  will  tell, 
O  Holy  One  of  Israel  ! 

Thy  righteousness  shall  all  day  long 
Be  the  sweet  subject  of  my  song. 


PSALM     LXXII. 

OGOD  !   Supremest  Source 
Of  government  below  : 
Thy  judgments  and  Thy  righteousness 
Upon  the  King  bestow. 

2   Then  he  upon  the  earth, 
Thy  deputy,  shall  reign  ; 
With  rectitude  Thy  people  judge, 
And  equity  maintain. 


LXXII  THE  PSALMS.  1 3  5 

3  The  mountains  and  the  hills 

Shall  yield  the  people  peace, 

4  Beneath  his  just  and  gentle  sway, 

Shall  all  oppression  cease. 

5  While  sun  and  moon  endure, 

And  night  succeeds  to  day, 
Throughout  all  generations,  men 
Shall  fear  him  and  obey. 

6  He  shall  come  down  like  rain, 

As  earth-refreshing  showers 
On  new-mown  meadows,  made  to  smile 
With  springing  grass  and  flowers. 

7  The  righteous  in  his  days 

Shall  flourish  and  prevail  ; 
And  peace  shall  everywhere  abound, 
Until  the  moon  shall  fail. 

8  His  empire  shall  extend, 

Likewise,  the  wide  world  o'er, 
From  sea  to  sea — Euphrates'  banks 
To  earth's  remotest  shore. 

9  The  dwellers  in  the  wild 

Shall  crouch  and  kiss  his  feet  ; 
His  enemies  shall  lick  the  dust  ; 
10       The  kings  bring  presents  meet, 


1 36  THE  PSA  LMS.  LXXII 

From  Tarshish  and  the  Isles  ; 
Sheba  and  Seba — yea, 
n   All  kings  before  him  shall  bow  down, 
All  nations  homage  pay. 

12  He  shall  the  needy  save, 

13  The  poor  too  when  he  cries  ; 

14  The  lives  of  all  his  subjects  shall 

Be  precious  in  his  eyes. 

15  And  he  shall  live  ;  to  him 

Shall  Sheba's  gold  be  given  ; 
And  ceaseless  prayer  for  him  be  made, 
With  daily  thanks  to  heaven. 

16  From  handful  of  seed-corn 

On  top  of  mountains  sown — 
Vast  fruit  shall  shake,  great  harvests  wave 
Like  Lebanon  wind-blown. 

Jerusalem  shall  bloom, 

New  cities  shall  have  birth  ; 
They  flourish  shall  like  the  green  herb 

That  beautifies  the  earth. 


17   While  shines  the  sun,  shall  last 
His  undecaying  fame  : 
Men  everywhere  be  blest  in  him 
All  nations  bless  his  name. 


LXXII  THE  PSALMS.  137 

iS   The  Lord  God  blessed  be, 
The  God  of  Israel  ! 
Who  only  doeth  wondrous  things, 
And  doeth  all  things  well  ; 

19  And  be  His  glorious  Name 
Blessed  forevermore  ; 
The  earth  be  with  His  glory  filled, 
And  all  men  Him  adore. 

Amen  and  Amen. 
The  prayers  of  David  the  Son  of  Jesse  are  ended.* 


*  How  this  line  of  prose  came  to  be  inserted  in  this  place  we  have  no  certain 
means  of  knowing.  We  know  that  the  Psalms  that  precede  are  not  all  by  David  ; 
and  that,  among  those  that  follow,  there  are  several  undoubtedly  his,  being  ex- 
oressly  attributed  to  him. 


BOOK    III 


PSALM     LXXIII. 

Y  tongue  was  loosed,  I  broke  the  spell, 
I  sternly  bade  the  fiend  depart  : 
Sure  God  is  good  to  Israel, 

To  Him  is  dear  the  pure  in  heart. 


M 


2  But  as  for  me,  my  tempted  feet 

Were  almost  gone,  by  folly  tripped  : 
My  steps,  perplexed  by  vain  deceit, 

In  slippery  paths  had  well-nigh  slipped. 

3  For  I  was  envious  of  the  proud, 

Seeing  th'  abundance  of  their  wealth  ; 

4  The  easier  death  to  them  allowed, 

Their  full-fed  happiness  and  health. 

5  Because  not  plagued  as  others  are, 

6  Disdain  they  as  a  necklace  wear  ; 

7  From  common  men  they  stand  afar  : 

Oily  and  round,  with  haughty  air, 


LXXIII  THE  PSALMS,  1 39 

8  They  from  on  high  oppression  speak  ; 

9  They  in  the  heavens  their  mouth  have  set ; 
Their  tongue  walks  through  the  earth  ;   the  weak 

They  trample  down  without  regret  : 

io  Therefore  His  people,  tossed  with  doubt, 
Sorely  perplexed,  are  made  to  drain 
Waters  of  a  full  cup,  wrung  out 
With  agonies  of  heart  and  brain. 

ii   They  're  moved  to  say  :  "  How  does  God  know  ? 
Knowledge  is  there  in  the  Most  High  ? 

12  The  wicked  prosper  here  below, 

'T  is  vain  to  ask  the  reason  why  : 

13  "  'T  is  all  in  vain  I've  cleansed  my  heart ; 

In  innocence  have  washed  my  hands  ; 

14  My  chastisements  do  not  depart ; 

My  daily  wailings  fill  the  land." 

15  If  I  had  said,  I  '11  thus  speak  out, 

I  had  thy  children  drugged  with  lies  : 

16  Yet  when  I  thought  to  solve  my  doubt, 

It  was  too  painful  in  my  eyes, 

17  Till  to  the  House  of  God  I  went, 

And  knew  their  end  ;  and  how  they  stood 

18  Upon  a  slippery  descent  ; 

That  false  and  fleeting  was  their  good. 


4°  THE  PSALMS.  LXXIII 

19  Behold,  the  doom  that  long  had  slept 

An  utter  desolation  makes  ; 
They  instantly  away  are  swept, 

20  Like  to  a  dream  when  one  awakes. 

Now  that  I  know  Thou  dost  despise 
Their  image,  th'  unreal  show 

21  No  longer  dupes  and  grieves  mine  eyes  : 

I  brutish  was  and  did  not  know. 

22  A  beast  before  Thee  I  have  been, 

But  Thou  hast  with  my  folly  borne  ; 
And  hast  forgiven  me  my  sin  ; 

23  And  I  'm  still  with  Thee  night  and  morn. 

Thou  hast  of  my  right  hand  kept  hold  : 

24  Thou  by  Thy  counsels  wilt  me  guide, 
A  straying  sheep  of  Thy  dear  fold, 

And  wilt  receive  me  to  Thy  side. 

25  For  whom  in  heaven  have  I  but  Thee  ? 

With  Thee  on  earth  I  none  require  : 

26  My  everlasting  fortress  be, 

Rock  of  my  heart  !  my  sole  Desire  ! 

27  Those  far  from  Thee  Thou  wilt  destroy, 

Who  'gainst  their  marriage  vows  rebel  ; 

28  But  to  draw  near  Thee  is  my  joy, 

In  thee  to  trust,  Thy  works  to  tell. 


LXXIV  THE  PSALMS. 


O 


PSALM     LXXIV. 

GOD.  why  dost  Thou  cast  us  off? 
Thy  tenderness  revoke  ? 
Against  Thy  once  loved  flock,  O  why 
Doth  Thy  long  anger  smoke  ? 


2  Remember  Thine  own  Israel, 

Tny  purchase  long  ago  ; 
And  this  Mount  Zion  which  has  been 
Thy  Dwelling  here  below. 

3  Lift  up  Thy  feet,  draw  near  and  see 

Perpetual  ruins  piled  ; 
The  ill  Thy  Sanctuary  done, 
How  ravaged  and  defiled. 

4  Thine  adversaries  mid  the  place 

Of  Thine  assembly  roared  ; 
Their  ensigns  they  set  up  for  signs, 
Who  other  gods  adored. 

5  They  like  to  men  with  lifted  axe 

Among  thick-growing  trees, 

6  With  sledge  and  hatchet  broke  and  hacked 

The  carvings  of  the  frieze. 

7  They  set  Thy  Sacred  House  on  fire, 

Thy  Dwelling-place  profaned  ; 
S   They  burned  up  all  God's  synagogues 
That  in  the  Land  remained. 


I42  THE  PSALMS.  LXXIV 

9  No  signs  we  see,  there  proof  is  none 
Of  gift  of  prophecy  : — 
No  one  among  us  knows  how  long 
Before  the  end  will  be. 

10  How  long,  Lord,  shall  the  foe  blaspheme  ? 

Shall  he  forever  stand  ? 
ii   Why  from  thy  bosom  dost  Thou  not 

Pluck  Thy  destroying  Hand? 

12  Yet  God  's  my  King  of  old,  who  wrought 

Salvation  in  the  earth  : 

13  Thou  by  Thy  strength  the  sea  didst  part, 

And  gav'st  a  nation  birth  : 

Didst  heads  of  huge  sea-monsters  crush  ; 

14  Leviathan  didst  quell, 

And  gavest  him  for  food  to  them, 
That  in  the  desert  dwell  : 

15  Didst  cleave  the  fountain  and  the  flood, 

Didst  mighty  rivers  dry  : 

16  The  day  is  Thine,  the  night  is  Thine, 

The  sun  that  climbs  the  sky. 

17  Thou  all  the  bounds  of  earth  hast  set, 

Summer  and  winter  made — 
The  frame  of  mighty  nature  formed, 
And  her  foundations  laid. 


LXXV  THE  PSALMS.  143 

18  Remember  this.  Lord  !  how  the  foe 

Blaspheme  Thee  and  contemn — 

19  A  greedy  herd,  the  turtle-dove 

Surrender  not  to  them. 

20  Have  to  Thy  covenant  respect  : 

For  earth's  dark  places  are 
Full  of  the  homes  of  cruelty, 
And  everlasting  jar. 

22  Arise,  O  God  !  plead  Thine  own  cause  : 

Make  their  reproaches  end  : 

23  The  tumults  of  Thine  enemies, 

Continually  ascend. 


PSALM    LXXV. 

E  give  Thee  thanks,  O  God  ! 
We  give  Thee  thanks  sincere  : 
Thy  wondrous  doings  in  our  midst 
Declare  Thy  Name  is  near. 


w 


2  "  I  will  a  set  time  take  ; 

The  judgment-seat  ascend  ; 
Myself  will  judge  in  equity  ; 
Myself  the  right  defend. 

3  "The  earth  and  its  inhabitants 

Are  faliing  into  wreck  : 
I  poise  the  pillars  ;  I  alone 
The  rushing  ruin  check. 


144  THE  PSALMS.  LXXVI 

4  "  I  said  unto  the  arrogant : 

'  Do  not  lift  up  your  horn  ; 

5  Speak  not  with  a  stiff  neck  proud  words 

Of  insolence  and  scorn.'  " 

6  For  not  from  east  or  west 

Nor  south  promotion  springs  : 

7  But  God  is  judge,  He  puts  down  one, 

To  power  another  brings. 

8  A  cup  is  in  His  hand, 

It  foams  high  o'er  the  brink  ; 
The  wine  is  mixed,  the  wicked  shall 
Its  dregs  wring  out  and  drink. 

9  But  as  for  me,  I  will 

Forever  sing  Thy  praise  ; 
io  Horns  of  the  wicked  I  will  lop, 
Horns  of  the  righteous  raise. 

PSALM     LXXVI. 

IN  Judah  God  is  known  ;  His  Name 
To  Israel  He  showed  ; 
2  In  Salem  His  Pavilion  spread, 
Made  Zion  His  Abode. 


3 


Bolts  of  the  bow  He  shattered  there, 

Swift  flashing  from  afar  ; 
Buckler  He  broke,  and  sword,  and  all 

Th'  implements  of  war. 


LXXVI  THE  PSALMS.  145 

4  High  up  Thy  dread  magnificence 

Majestically  towers 
Above  the  mountains,  whence  descend 
Fierce  predatory  powers.* 

5  Spoiled  are  the  stout  of  heart — they  slept, 

Bound  in  death's  iron  bands — 
And  all  the  men  of  might  have  found 
No  use  for  their  strong  hands. 

■6  At  Thy  rebuke,  O  God,  they  lay, 
Both  chariot  and  horse, 
In  a  deep  sleep  and  motionless — 
On  every  side  a  corse. 

7   Thou,  even  Thou,  art  to  be  feared  : 
When  once  Thou  angry  art, 
Ah  !  who  can  stand  before  Thee  then, 
With  guilt  within  his  heart? 

•8   Sentence  from  heaven  was  heard  proclaimed  : 

The  earth  feared  and  was  still, 
•9  When  God  to  judgment  rose  to  save 

Meek  doers  of  His  will. 

•10  Man's  wrath  is  made  to  praise  Thee  ;  Thou 
Shalt  future  wrathsf  restrain — 
Shalt  hold  in  check  the  residue 
While  any  shall  remain. 


*  Assyrian  hosts  under  Sennacherib.     Sec  2  Kings  xix.  35. 
1  The  Hebrew  original  is  plural. 


146  THE  PSALMS.  LXXVII 

11  Vow  to  the  Lord  your  God  and  pay: 

Bring  tribute  to  your  Dread — 

12  Kings  of  the  earth  !  lest  He  cut  off 

And  count  you  with  the  dead. 

PSALM     LXXVII. 

I'LL  lift  my  voice  to  God, 
And  He  my  cry  will  hear  ; 
I'll  lift  my  voice  to  God,  who  will 
Incline  a  gracious  ear, 

2  As  when  I  sought  the  Lord 

In  time  of  heavy  grief, 
All  day  and  night,  with  hand  stretched  out — 
My  soul  refused  relief. 

3  I  think  on  God,  and  sigh  ; 

I  moan,  my  spirit 's  weak  ; 

4  Mine  eyes  Thou  waking  hold'st,  I  am 

So  tost  I  cannot  speak. 

5  I  days  of  old  recall  ; 

6  My  carol  in  the  night  ; 

I  with  my  heart  communion  hold, 
And  grope  and  seek  for  light. 

7  Will  God  for  aye  cast  off? 

Be  favorable  no  more  ? 

8  Forever  has  His  mercy  ceased  ? 

Is  there  no  hope  in  store  ? 


LXXVII  THE  PSALMS.  \tf 

Has  the  old  promise  failed  ? 
9       The  Mighty  One  forgot  ? 
No  longer  do  His  bowels  yearn, 
His  anger  is  so  hot  ? 

10  I  said,  these  ghastly  doubts 
Of  a  sick  mind  deny 
Facts  of  the  years  of  the  right  hand, 
And  arm  of  the  Most  High. 

ii   I  will  commemorate 

The  doings  of  the  Lord  : 

12  The  wonders  which  of  old  He  wrought 

Will  gratefully  record. 

13  Thy  way,  O  God,  is  pure  : 

Who  mighty  is  like  Thee? 

14  Among  the  nations  Thou  hast  shown 

Thy  power  and  majesty. 

15  Thy  people  were  set  free, 

By  Thy  delivering  aid  : 

16  The  waters  saw  Thee,  O  our  God, 

They  saw  and  were  afraid. 

They  trembled  in  their  depths  ; 

17  The  clouds  their  waters  poured  : 

18  The  firm  earth  shook,  while  lightnings  blazed 

And  skies  with  thunder  roared. 


48  THE  PSALMS.  LXXVIII 

19  Thy  way  was  in  the  sea  ; 

Thy  footsteps  were  not  known  ; 

20  Thou  led'st  Thy  people  like  a  flock 

Through  all  the  desert  lone. 

PSALMS     LXXVIII. 

HEAR,   O  my  people,  I  will  tell 
Deep  meanings  in  a  parable  ; 
Repeat  dark  sayings  from  of  old 

3  To  us  by  our  grey  fathers  told  : 

The  things  they  did  to  us  confide, 

4  We  will  not  from  their  children  hide  : 
Jehovah's  praises  we  '11  recite, 

And  all  the  wonders  of  His  might. 

5  For  to  this  end  and  for  this  cause, 
In  Jacob  He  established  laws  ; 
That  handed  down  from  sire  to  son, 
They  might  be  known,  observed  and  done  : 

6  That  children  which  should  yet  be  born 
To  theirs  might  tell  them  night  and  morn  ; 

7  Their  hope  in  God  might  firmly  set, 
And  not  His  mighty  works  forget  : 

8  And  not  be  as  their  fathers  were, 
Stubborn,  perverse  and  prone  to  err  ; 
Their  hearts  unsteadfast  and  untrue 
From  God  withholding  service  due. 


LXXV1II  THE  PSALMS.  1 49 

9  The  sons  of  Ephraim*  turned  back, 
In  time  of  conflict  and  attack  ; 

10  Kept  not  the  covenant  of  God, 
But,  faithless,  left  His  ways  untrod  : 

11  Forgot  the  doings  of  His  Hand 

Of  which  the  fame  rilled  all  the  land — 

12  His  wondrous  works,  with  judgment  fraught, 
In  Egypt  for  their  fathers'  wrought. 

13  The  Red  Sea  waves  He  cleft  in  two, 

And  caused  them,  dry-shod,  to  pass  through — 
Making  the  waters  of  the  deep 
To  stand  suspended  as  a  heap. 

14  By  day  He  with  a  cloud  them  led  ; 
By  night  with  light  of  fire  instead  ; 

15  The  rock  He  in  the  desert  clave, 
And  drink  abundantly  them  gave  ; 

16  Out  of  the  cliff,  beneath  the  sun 
He  streams  like  rivers  made  to  run  : 

17  But  'gainst  the  Highest  none  the  less 
Rebelled  they  in  the  wilderness. 

iS   They  tempted  God  with  lustful  greed, 
Asking  for  food  they  did  not  need  : 

19   Doubted  His  power;   u  Can  God,"  they  said, 
"A  table  in  the  desert  spread  ? " 

*  The  chief  of  the  Ten  Tribes  that  revolted,  representing  the  whole. 


1$0  THE  PSALMS.  LXXVIII 

20  "He  smote  the  rock  and  streams  did  flow. 
But  can  he  give  us  bread  also  ? 

He  water  has,  't  is  true  supplied, 
But  can  He  flesh  for  us  provide  ?" 

21  Jehovah  heard  this,  and  His  ire 
Burned  against  Jacob  like  a  fire  ; 

22  Because  they,  impious  and  unjust, 
Did  not  in  His  salvation  trust. 

32  For  all  this,  they  ceased  not  to  sin, 
Grey  unbelievers  hard  to  win  ; 

33  Therefore,  in  vanity  and  fears, 

Did  He  consume  their  days  and  years. 

34  When  He  them  slew,  they  sought  Him  then, 
Made  eager  quest  for  God  again 

35  Their  sometime  Rock,  their  Refuge  nigh, 
Their  strong  Redeemer,  God  Most  High. 

36  But  with  the  mouth  they  Him  deceived  ; 
Lied  with  their  tongues  and  disbelieved. 

37  Their  heart,  not  fixed  the  right  to  do, 
Was  to  His  covenant  untrue. 

38  But  pitiful  He  did  not  slay  ; 
His  anger  often  turned  away  ; 

39  Forgave,  when  they  transgressed  afresh, 
Remembering  they  were  but  flesh. 


LXXVIII  THE  PSALMS,  I  5  I 

40  How  oft  against  Him  they  rebelled, 
The  Holy  One  of  Israel ! 

41  Each  day  they  tempted  God  anew, 
And  grieved  Him  all  the  desert  through. 

42  It  was,  as  if  they  did  not  know 

Whose  hand  redeemed  them  from  the  foe — 

43  As  if  the  signs  in  Egypt  wrought 

Were  strangers  to  their  mind  and  thought. 

44  He  turned  their  rivers  into  blood, 

So  none  could  drink  the  crimson  flood  : 

45  Devouring  flies  among  them  sent, 
And  frogs  for  their  destruction  meant. 

46  He  gave  their  labor  and  produce 
Up  to  the  caterpiller's  use  : 

47  Destroyed  their  vines  (by  hailstones  lost), 
Their  sycamores  with  fatal  frost  ; 

4S   Gave  over,  to  hail-slaughtering  knocks 
And  thunderbolts,  their  herds  and  flocks  : 

49  Let  loose  the  fierceness  of  His  wrath, 

50  And  made  for  it  a  level  path  : 

51  Sent  on  an  embassy  of  death, 
Angels  of  evil  with  hot  breath, 
The  pestilence  with  fiery  throat — 
All  the  first-born  of  Egypt  smote, 


I  5  2  THE  PSA  LMS.  LX  X  V 1 1 1 

52  But  like  a  flock  His  people  led 
Into  the  wilderness,  and  fed. 

53  While  they  passed  safe  from  terror  free, 
Their  foes  were  buried  in  the  sea. 

54  He  brought  them  to  the  Holy  Land, 
The  Mountain  won  by  His  right  hand  — 

55  Proceeded  nations  to  expel, 

That  so  the  tribes  might  therein  dwell. 

56  Yet  they  resisted  God  Most  High, 
And  would  not  with  His  laws  comply — 

57  Aside,  as  did  their  fathers,  so 
They  turned  like  a  deceitful  bow  : 

5S   High  places  built  which  He  forbade  ; 
Him  with  their  idols  jealous  made  : 

59  So  high  their  impious  daring  soared, 
God  greatly  Israel  abhorred. 

60  The  Tent  at  Shiloh  He  forsook  ; 

Ark  of  His  Strength  they  captive  took — 

61  His  Glory*  passed  to  heathen  hands, 

62  And  blood  and  carnage  filled  the  lands. 

63  The  fire  devoured  their  young  and  strong  j 
Their  maidens  were  unpraised  in  song  ; 

64  Priests  by  the  sword  in  numbers  slept, 
And  by  their  widows  were  unwept. 


♦The  Ark,  where  the  "Glory  of  the  Lord"  or  Shekinah  had  rested,  was  still 
called  His  Glory,  when  this  visible  token  of  His  Presence  was  withdrawn. 


LXXIX  THE  PSALMS.  1 53 

65  Then  waked  the  Lord  as  out  of  sleep, 

66  Drove  back  His  foes  with  dreadful  sweep, 
And  fastened  to  their  hated   name 
Perpetual  reproach  and  shame. 

67  The  house  of  Joseph  pleased  not  Him, 
So  He  rejected  Ephraim  ; 

68  But  Judah's  loyal  tribe  approved  ; 
And  on  Mount  Zion  which  He  loved, 

69  He  built  His  Sanctuary,  cast 
Foundations  made  for  aye  to  last  : 

70  David  his  servant  too  did  choose, 

71  Took  Him  from  following  the  ewes, 

To  feed  His  people  Israel, 

72  And  he  fulfilled  his  office  well — 
With  honest  heart,  and  skillful  hand, 
And  shepherd-care,  he  ruled  the  Land. 

PSALM     LXXIX. 

THE  heathen  in  Thine  heritage, 
O  God,  have  hostile  inroads  made  ; 
Thy  Holy  Temple  have  defiled, 
Jerusalem  in  ruins  laid. 

2  They  have  Thy  servants'  bodies  given 

As  food  to  birds  and  beasts  of  prey  ; 

3  Their  blood,  like  water,  shed — all  round 

Thy  slaughtered  saints  unburied  lay. 


154  THE  PSALMS.  LXXIX 

4  We  have  become  our  neighbors'  scorn  : 

5  How  long,  O  Lord  ?     Will  Thy  just  ire 
And  jealousy  forever  last, 

And  burn  unquenchably  like  fire  ? 

6  Wrath  rather  on  the  nations  pour, 

That  know  Thee  not,  nor  on  Thee  wait  j 

7  For  they  have  Israel  devoured, 

And  made  his  dwellings  desolate. 

8  Remember  not  againt  us,  Lord, 

Our  fathers'  sinnings  long  ago  : 
Let  us  Thy  tender  mercies  meet, 
For  we  are  brought  exceeding  low  !" 

9  O  God  of  our  salvation,  help  ! 

Help  for  the  glory  of  Thy  Name  \ 
For  Thy  Name's  sake  deliver  us, 

And  purge  away  our  guilt  and  shame. 

io   O  wherefore  should  the  heathen  say, 

Where  is  their  God  ?     Display  Thy  might  ; 
And  be  Thy  servants'  blood  avenged, 
Among  the  nations  in  our  sight. 

ii    Incline  a  favorable  ear, 

And  hear  the  groaning  captive's  cry  : 
After  the  greatness  of  Thy  power 

Preserve  Thou  those  condemned  to  die 


L X  X X  'J HE  PSALMS.  I  5  5 

12  Return  our  neighbors'  scorn  sevenfold  : 

13  So  we.  Thy  flock,  will  give  to  Thee 
Eternal  thanks  :  Thy  praise  show  forth 

To  generations  yet  to  be. 

PSALM     LXXX.* 

SHEPHERD  of  Israel,  give  ear— 
Who  like  a  flock  dost  Joseph  lead  ! 
Throned  on  the  Cherubim,  shine  clear, 
Forth  from  Thy  Cloud  let  light  proceed  ! 

2  Arouse  Thy  might  ;   Lord,  save,  restore  ! 

3  Let  Thy  Face  shine  on  us  once  more  ! 

4  Lord  God  of  Hosts,  how  long  wile  Thou 

Be  angry  'gainst  Thy  people's  prayer? 

5  For  food,  for  drink  Thou  giv'st  them  now 

Abundant  tears,  their  only  fare. 

6  Our  neighbors  laugh  :   Lord.  save,  restore  ! 

7  Let  Thy  Face  shine  on  us  once  more  ! 

8  Thou  didst  a  Vine  from  Egypt  fetch, 

And  plant,  and  drive  the  nations  out 

9  To  give  it  room — and  let  it  stretch 

Its  mighty  roots  and  boughs  about, 
io   To  fill  and  cover  all  the  Land, 
ii    Extending  to  Euphrates'  strand. 


*  The  occasion  of  this  Psalm  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  overthrow  and  de- 
portation of  the  Ten  Tribes— known  as  the  Kingdom  of  Israel,  in  distinction  from 
the  Kingdom  of  Judah. 


I56  THE  PSALMS.  LXXX 

12  Why  hast  Thou  broken  down  its  wall, 

So  all  may  pluck  it  in  their  greed  ? 

13  Boar  from  the  wood  it  strips,  and  all 

Beasts  roaming  wild  upon  it  feed. 

14  Visit  the  Vine,  which  Thou  didst  plant, 

15  O  God  of  Hosts,  and  shelter  grant  ! 

16  'T  is  burned  with  fire  ;  it  is  cut  down  : 

At  Thy  rebuke  they  cease  to  be. 

17  Make  strong  our  Champion  of  renown, 

18  So  we  shall  not  backslide  from  Thee. 

19  Lord  God  of  Hosts,  revive,  restore  ! 
Let  Thy  Face  shine  on  us  once  more  ! 


PSALM     LXXXI. 

SHOUT  to  the  Lord,  our  Strength  ! 
To  God  of  Israel  sing  ! 

2  Take  up  the  psalm  !     The  timbrel  strike  ! 

Wake  every  tuneful  string 

Of  the  sweet  harp  and  lute  ! 
And  let  the  trumpets  sound  ! 

3  As  at  new  moon,  so  now  at  full, 

Spread  the  announcement  round, 

4  This  is  the  happy  day 

Of  the  Passover  Feast, 

5  Appointed  to  commemorate 

When  Jacob  was  released, 


LXXXI  THE  FSALMS.  1 57 

And  out  of  Egypt  went — 

To  him  a  foreign  land, 
Where  he  another  language  heard, 

He  did  not  understand. 


"  From  his  tasked  shoulders  I 
Removed  the  crushing  load  ; 

His  hands  I  from  the  basket  freed, 
Great  favor  to  him  showed. 

14  In  trouble  thou  didst  call : 

And  I  did  set  thee  free — 
I  from  the  cloud,  the  secret  place 

Of  thunder,  answered  thee. 

44  When  thou  at  Meribah 

Didst  murmur,  I  thee  tried  ; 

I  gave  thee  water  from  the  rock, 
Miraculously  supplied. 

14  O,  Israel,  bend  now 

To  me  a  listening  ear, 
And  I  will  to  thee  testify, 

If  thou  wilt  only  hear. 

g  There  shall  no  foreign  god 

In  thee  permitted  be  ; 
And  thou  shalt  worship  no  strange  god, 

But  worship  only  Me. 


58 


THE  PSALMS. 


lxxxi: 


10  "  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God, 

Who  did  from  Egypt  bring  : 
Ope  wide  thy  mouth,  and  I  '11  it  fill 
With  every  needful  thing. 


ii    "  When  Israel  refused 
To  hear  Me  and  obey, 

12  I  gave  them  up  to  stubbornness 

To  walk  in  their  own  way. 

13  "  O  that  My  people  would 

But  hearken  to  My  voice  ! 

14  I  'd  soon  subdue  their  enemies, 

And  make  their  hearts  rejoice. 

15  "  The  haters  of  the  Lord 

Should  unto  Him  submit  ; 
The  nation  then  should  long  endure, 
No  end  should  be  to  it. 

16  "  I  would  them  also  feed 

With  finest  of  the  wheat, 
And  satisfy  them  from  the  rock 
With  honey  too  to  eat." 


T 


PSALM     LXXXII. 

HE  mighty  God  of  Heaven 
In  His  assembly  stands, 
Judging  the  gods  who  judge  below — 
The  princes  of  the  lands. 


LXX  X 1 1 1  THE  PSA  L  M  S  I  5  9 

2  M  How  long  will  ye  judge  wrong  ; 

Just  laws  corruptly  wrest  ? 

3  Right  ye  the  weak  and  fatherless, 

4  And  rescue  th'  opprest  !  " 

5  Perversely,  they  prefer 

In  darkness  still  to  walk  ; 
The  earth's  foundations  shake,  while  they 
The  ends  of  justice  balk. 

6  "  Though  I  said,   'Ye  are  gods, 

All  sons  of  the  Most  High,' 

7  Yet  ye  shall  from  your  places  fall, 

Like  common  men  shall  die  !" 

8  Arise,  O  God  !  and  judge 

The  earth  in  righteousness  : 
Assert  thy  claim,  whose  right  it  is 
All  nations  to  possess  ! 

P  S  A  L  M     L  X  X  X  I  I  I  . 

KEEP  silence  not,  O  God  ! 
Hold  not  Thy  peace,  nor  rest ; 

2  For,  lo,  Thy  foes  a  tumult  make, 

Proud  hatred  swells  their  breast. 

3  They  craftily  combine  ; 

"  Come,"  say  they,  "  we  will  plot, 

4  And  from  the  roll  of  nations  will 

The  name  of  Israel  blot." 


I  Co  THE  PSALMS.  LXXXIII 

6  Edom  and  Ishmael, 

Philistia  and  Tyre, 

7  Asshur  and  Amalek,  to  help 

8  The  sons  of  Lot,  conspire. 

9  Do  as  to  Midian, 

And  as  to  Sisera, 
When  Thou  at  the  brook  Kishon  didst 
The  hosts  of  Jabin  slay  : 

io   Destroyed  at  Endor,  these 

Were  dung  unto  the  ground  ; 
The  bodies  of  ten  thousand  slain 
Lay  festering  around. 

ii   Their  nobles  do  Thou  like 
Oreb  and  Zeeb  make  ; 
Like  Zeba  and  Zalmunna,  let 
Destruction  them  o'ertake, 

12  Who  impudently  said  : 

"Let  us  the  dwellings  seize 
And  fertile  pasture  grounds  of  God, 
And  henceforth  live  at  ease." 

13  Make,  O  my  God,  them  like 

The  whirl  of  flying  wheels  ; 
Like  chaff  before  the  wind  them  drive, 
Grim  slaughter  at  their  heels. 


LXXXIV  THE  PSALMS,  l6l 

14  As  fire  the  forest  burns, 

Flame  kindles  mountains,  so 

15  Do  Thou  pursue  them  with  Thy  storm — 

Make  them  Thy  terrors  know  : 

16  Their  face  fill  with  contempt, 

Till  they  shall  seek  Thy  Name — 

17  Let  them  forever  be  abashed, 

And  perish  in  their  shame. 

18  Then  shall  men  know  that  Thou, 

Jehovah  !  Thou  alone, 
Art  the  Most  High  o'er  all  the  earth, 
And  worship  at  Thy  throne. 


PSALM     LXXXIV. 


H 


OW  lovely  are  Thy  Dwellings,  Lord  ! 
My  spirit  longs,  yea  faints  to  see 
Thy  far-off  Courts,  where  praise  is  poured 
By  lips  thrice-privileged  to  Thee. 
My  heart  and  flesh 
Cry  out  afresh 
For  those  dear  precincts,  long  untrod, 
And  most  for  Thee,  the  Living  God. 

3   The  favored  sparrow  there  appears  ; 
And  there  the  swallow  has  her  nest, 
In  which  her  callow  brood  she  rears,. 
A  fearless  unforbidden  guest, 


1 62  THE  PSALMS.  LXXXIV 

Thine  altars  nigh, 

O  Lord  Most  High — 
While  I  am  banished  from  the  place, 
Thy  Mercy  Seat  and  Throne  of  Grace. 

4  Happy  the  dwellers  in  Thy  Courts, 

Who  permanently  spend  their  days 
Within  Thy  Temple's  sacred  ports, 
In  offerings  of  prayer  and  praise  : 

5  Happy  is  he, 

Whose  strength  's  in  Thee, 
With  highways  in  his  iieart  that  lead 
To  Zion's  Hill,  cast  up  for  speed. 

6  They,  passing  through  the  Vale  of  Tears, 

Make  it  a  place  of  welling  springs  : 
The  early  rain  the  pilgrim  cheers, 
And  seasonable  blessings  brings. 
From  strength  to  strength 
They  go — at  length 
They  all  appear,  their  journey  done, 
'Fore  God  in  Zion,  every  one. 

8   Jehovah,  God  of  Hosts,  incline 

A  gracious  ear,  and  hear  my  cry  ! 
•g   O  God,  my  Shield  !  look  Thou  on  Thine 

Anointed  with  a  loving  eye  ! 
io  Better  one  day 

Is  it  to  stay 
Within  Thy  House,  and  keep  the  door, 
Than  tents  of  sin  a  thousand  more. 


LXXXV  THE  PSALMS.  1 63 

11  Jehovah  is  a  Sun  and  Shield  ; 

He  grace  and  glory  will  bestow  ; 
No  good  but  He  will  to  them  yield 
Who  walk  uprightly  here  below. 

12  O  Lord  of  Hosts, 
Guard  Thou  our  coasts  ; 

Our  light  and  our  protection  be — 
Happy  the  man  who  trusts  in  Thee  ! 

PSALM     LXXXV. 

THOU  hast,  O  Lord,  in  former  years 
Been  gracious  to  Thy  Land  ; 
Hast  captive  Israel  brought  back, 
By  Thy  restoring  hand. 

2  Thy  people's  guilt  Thou  hast  removed, 

Their  sins  hast  covered  o'er  ; 

3  Withdrawn  the  fierceness  of  Thine  ire, 

So  that  it  smoked  no  more. 

4  O  God  of  our  Salvation,  now 

Return  to  us  ;  and  make 
Thine  indignation  towards  us  cease, 
For  Thine  own  mercy's  sake. 

5  Wilt  Thou  be  angry,  and  draw  out 

Thine  anger  evermore  ? 

6  Wilt  Thou  not  quicken  us  again, 

And  former  joys  restore  ? 


1 64  THE  PSALMS.  LXXXVI 

7  Show  us  Thy  mercy,  gracious  Lord  ! 

And  Thy  salvation  grant  : 

8  I  wait  to  hear  Thee  speak  the  peace 

For  which  Thy  people  pant. 

Let  them  no  more  to  folly  turn  ; 
But  fear,  and  steadfast  stand  ; 

9  That  Thy  indwelling  presence  may 

Make  glorious  the  Land. 

io  Mercy  and  Truth  together  meet, 
And  Righteousness  and  Peace 
Embrace  and  kiss — Thy  covenant 
Is  sure  and  does  not  cease. 

ii   Attesting  Truth  springs  up  like  grain 
Out  of  the  teeming  sod  ; 
And  Righteousness  looks  down  from  heaven,. 
Like  rainbow-pledge  from  God. 

12  The  Lord  the  promised  good  shall  give  ; 

Our  Land  her  increase  pour: 

13  And  Righteousness,  His  harbinger, 

Shall  go  His  steps  before. 

PSALM     LXXXVI. 

BOW  down  Thine  ear,  O  Lord,  to  me, 
Needy  and  poor  I  succor  crave  : 
2   Preserve  my  soul,  beloved  of  Thee, 
Thy  servant  trusting  in  Thee,  save  ! 


LXXXVI  THE  PSALMS.  1 65 

3  Be  merciful  to  me,  for  I 

The  whole  day  long  unto  Thee  cry. 

4  Rejoice  Thy  servant's  soul  !     I  lift 

To  Thee  a  meek,  confiding  heart  : 
Descends  from  Thee  each  perfect  gift — 

5  Good  and  forgiving,  Lord,  Thou  art  ; 
Plenteous  in  mercy  unto  all 

Who  unto  Thee  contritely  call. 

6  Give  ear,  O  Lord,  unto  my  prayer  ; 

7  In  trouble  Thou  wilt  hear  my  cry  ; 

8  No  gods  with  Thee  can  e'er  compare. 

No  works  of  theirs  with  Thine  can  vie  ; 

9  All  nations  shall  their  Maker  own, 

10  And  worship  Thee  and  Thee  alone. 

11  Teach  me  to  walk  in  wisdom's  ways  ; 

Unite  my  heart  to  fear  Thy  Name  ; 

12  With  my  whole  heart  I  will  Thee  praise, 

And  evermore  resound  Thy  fame. 

13  Great  is  Thy  mercy,  for  't  was  it 
That  snatched  me  from  the  lowest  pit. 

14  Proud  ones  against  me  have  rebelled — 

The  violent,  the  sons  of  strife — 
Thy  fear  they  've  not  before  them  held, 
Ungodly  men  that  sought  my  life  ; 

15  But  Thou  a  God  art,  full  of  ruth — 
Plenteous  in  mercy  and  in  truth. 


66  THE  PSALMS.  LX  XXVII 

16  O  to  me  turn  and  gracious  be  ! 

Strength  and  salvation  to  me  give  ! 

17  A  sign  of  favor  show  to  me, 

That,  seeing  by  whose  help  I  live, 
All  those  towards  me  with  hate  inflamed,. 
May  be  confounded  and  ashamed. 


PSALM     LXXXVII 


o 


N  consecrated  ground, 

The  holy  mountains  round, 
Rest  Zion's  bulwarks  and  her  lofty  domes  : 

2  Jehovah  loves  her  gates, 
And  them  more  precious  rates 

Than  all  the  lordliest  of  Jacob's  homes. 

Dear  City  of  our  God, 
The  Place  of  His  Abode  ! 

3  Most  glorious  things  are  prophesied  of  thee  ; 

To  the  true  worship  won, 

4  Egypt  and  Babylon, 
Philistia  and  Tyre  and  Cush  shall  be. 

By  God  established — 
In  Thee,  it  shall  be  said, 

5  This  man  was  born  and  that  ;  and  so  when  He 

6  The  nations  shall  convert, 
Of  each  He  will  assert, 

7  There  this  was  born — the  mother  of  the  free. 


LXXXVI1I  THE  PSALMS.  1 67 

PSALM     L  X  XXVIII. 

LORD  God  of  my  salvation,  I 
By  day,  by  night  before  Thee  cry, 

2  O  let  my  prayer  to  Thee  ascend, 
Thine  ear  to  my  petition  bend  ! 

3  For,  oh,  my  soul  is  full  of  fear, 
And  my  life  draws  to  Sheol  near  : 

4  I  'm  counted  with  th'  already  dead, 
And  all  my  manly  strength  is  fled. 

5  Cast  off,  I  with  the  dead  remain, 
Forsaken,  like  the  buried  slain, 
Whom  Thou  Thyself  rememberest  not, 
From  Thee  cut  off  and  doomed  to  rot. 

6  Thou  hast  in  lowest  pit  me  hurled, 
Th'  abysses  of  the  underworld  ; 

7  Thy  wrath  lies  heavy  on  my  soul, 
Great  waves  of  sorrow  o'er  me  roll. 

8  Thou  my  acquaintance  hast  estranged, 
And  hast  their  love  to  loathing  changed  ; 
Shut  up,  I  can  go  forth  no  more, 

9  Mine  eye  decays  through  weeping  sore. 

I  Thee  invoke,  Lord,  every  day  ; 
I  stretch  forth  wearied  hands  and  pray  : 
10  Wilt  Thou  show  wonders  to  the  dead, 
Shall  shades  *  arise  Thy  praise  to  spread  ? 

*  Disembodied  spirits,  implying  the  separate  existence  of  the  soul  after  death. 


1 68  THE  PSALMS.  LXXXVIII 

it   Shall  any  in  the  grave  rehearse 
Thy  loving  kindnesses  in  verse? 
Or  any  in  Abaddon*  bless 
And  celebrate  Thy  faithfulness? 

12  Any  in  that  lone  darksome  land 
Recite  the  wonders  of  Thy  hand  ? — 
Land  of  forgetfulness  and  night 
Where  reaches  not  one  ray  of  light. 

13  To  Thee  I  come  with  tears  and  cries  ; 
At  early  morn  my  prayer  shall  rise — 

14  Why  cast  me  off,  O  God  of  grace  ? 
Why  dost  Thou  hide  Thy  lovely  Face? 

15  I  long  have  drawn  uncertain  breath, 
A  ready  candidate  for  death  : 

Have  borne  Thy  terrors  and  still  bear, 
A  wretched  victim  of  despair. 

16  Thine  indignations  like  a  sea, 
Loud  roaring,  have  passed  over  me  : 

17  Thy  terrors  have  made  me  a  prey, 
Like  waters  compassed  me  all  day. 

18  Of  lover  and  of  friend  bereft, 
Darkness  to  me  alone  is  left — 

My  path  is  lost.     Great  Shepherd,  say, 
Shall  I  still  wander  from  Thy  way  ? 

*  A  poetical  equivalent  of  Grave  and  Death.      See  Prov.  xvii.  11  ;  Job  xxvi.  6  ; 
xxviii.  22. 


LXXXIX  THE  PSALMS.  1 69 

P  S  A  L  M     L  X  X  XIX. 

THE  mercies  of  the  Lord 
I  will  forever  sing  ; 

2  Make  known  th'  enduring  faithfulness 

Of  our  Eternal   King. 

3  For,  Mercy,  I  have  said, 

Shall  be  built  up  for  aye  : 
Thy  faithfulness,  fixed  in  the  heavens, 
Be  permanent  as  they. 

"  I  have  with  David  made 
A  covenant,  and  sworn  : 

4  '  I  stablish  will  thy  seed  ;    build  up 

Thy  throne  for  sons  unborn.'  " 

5  The  heavens  shall  celebrate, 

The  skilled  angelic  choirs, 
The  wonders  of  Thy  faithfulness 
Upon  their  golden  lyres. 

6  For  who  in  all  the  Sky — 

Sons  of  the  mighty  there, 
The  angels  that  excel  in  strength  — 
Can  with  the  Lord  compare  ? 

7  A  God  most  terrible, 

With  awful  glory  crowned — 
High  seated  at  His  council  board, 
The  holy  ones  around. 


70  THE  PSALMS.  LXXXIX 

8  Jehovah,  God  of  Hosts, 

Who  mighty  is  like  Thee  ? 
Thy  faithfulness  the  girdle  is 
Of  Thy  eternity. 

9  The  proud  imperious  deep 

Acknowledges  Thy  sway  : 
Th'  obsequious  waves  Thy  mandate  hear 
And  instantly  obey. 

io   Thou  hast  proud  Egypt  crushed, 
Inflicting  mortal  harm  ; 
Thy  foes  hast  scattered  by  the  strength 
Of  Thine  almighty  arm. 


ii    The  heavens  and  earth  are  Thine, 
Thou  didst  all  nature  frame  : 

12   All  quarters  of  the  world  rejoice 
In  their  Creator's  Name. 


I4j  Justice  and  judgment  are 

Thy  throne's  eternal  base  ; 
Mercy  and  Truth,  celestial  forms, 
Shall  go  before  Thy  face. 

15  Happy  the  people,  who, 

Knowing  the  joyful  sound, 

16  Walk  in  the  sunshine  of  Thy  Face, 

Glad  daylight  all  around. 


LXXXIX  THE  PSALMS,  \7\ 

17  For  Thou,  Lord,  art  our  Strength  ; 

Our  Ornament,  as  well  ; 

18  Our  Shield,  our  King,  the  Holy  One 

Of  favored  Israel. 


19  In  vision  Thou  didst  speak 

And  saidst  :  "  I  help  have  laid 
Upon  a  Mighty  One  and  fit, 

Of  whom  I  choice  have  made — 

20  "David,  my  servant,  him 

I  have  anointed  King  ; 

21  My  hand  and  arm  shall  present  be 

For  his  establishing. 

22  ''  No  foe  shall  him  compel, 

Or  vanquish  him  in  fight  ; 

23  His  adversaries  I  '11  beat  down, 

And  those  who  hate  him  smite. 

24  "My  faithfulness  and  love 

Shall  him  exalt  and  bless  ; 

25  I  '11  set  his  hand  too  on  the  seas 

And  rivers  to  possess. 

26  "From  his  warm  lips  to  Me 

Shall  burst  the  filial  cry  : 
'Thou  art  my  Father,  Thou  my  God, 
The  Rock  to  which  I  fly.' 


172  THE  PSALMS.  LXXXIX 

27  "  I  '11  make  him  my  First-born, 

Highest  of  earthly  kings  ; 

28  His  throne  shall,  like  the  days  of  heaven, 

29  Exceed  all  reckonings. 

30  u  If  Me  his  sons  forsake, 

31  And  from  my  laws  diverge, 

32  Their  sin  I  '11  visit  with  a  rod, 

Their  trespass  with  a  scourge  ; 

33  "  But  I  '11  not  utterly 

My  mercy  from  him  take  ; 
I  '11  not  My  faithfulness  let  fail, 

34  My  covenant  not  break. 

35  "  Once  by  My  holiness 

I  have  to  David  sworn. 

36  His  seed  shall  last,  his  throne  abide 

37  While  night  succeeds  to  morn. 


38  And  yet  Thou  hast  cast  off, 

On  Thine  anointed  frowned, 

39  Abhorred  his  covenant,  profaned 

His  crown  hurled  to  the  ground 


4" 


Hast  broken  down  his  walls, 
His  strongholds  hast  uptorn  : 
41    All  spoil  him  that  pass  by — he  has 
Become  his  neighbors'  scorn. 


LXXXIX  THE  PSALMS  1/3 

42  Thou  hast  made  strong  his  foes, 

And  triumph  to  them  given  ; 

43  Turned  back  the  keenness  of  his  sword, 

And  from  the  field  him  driven. 

44  And  Thou  hast  made  to  cease 

The  brightness  of  his  fame  ; 

45  His  throne  cast  down,  his  days  cut  short, 

And  covered  him  with  shame. 

46  How  long,  O  Lord  ?  wilt  Thou 

Thyself  forever  hide  ? 
How  long  shall  burn  like  fire  Thy  wrath  ? 
How  long  shall  foes  deride? 

47  Remember,  Lord,  how  short 

48  My  time  is  :     To  what  use 

Hast  Thou  made  man  ?     No  one  the  grasp 
Of  Sheol's  hand*  can  loose. 

49  Where  are  Thy  mercies  which 

Thou  didst  to  David  swear  ? 

50  Remember,  Lord,  I  the  reproach 

Of  many  peoples  bear. 

Blessed  be  Jehovah  forevermore, 
Amen,  and  Amen. 

•  S<>  the  Hebrew. 


B  ()  O  K     I  V  . 


PSALM     X  C  . 

LORD,  Thou  hast  been  our  dwelling-place, 
Our  refuge  in  the  past : 

2  Before  the  mountains  were  brought  forth 

Or  earth's  foundations  cast, 

Thou  wast,  and  art,  and  wilt  be  God  : 

From  everlasting  Thou 
To  everlasting  still  the  same, 

An  unbeginning  NOW. 

The  generations  come  and  go, 
Appear,  and  perish  then  ; 

3  Thou  turnest  man  to  dust,  and  say'st  : 

"  Return  ye  sons  of  men  !  " 

4  For  in  Thy  sight  a  thousand  years 

Are  but  as  yesterday, 
And  as  a  brief  watch  in  the  night 
When  it  hath  passed  away. 


XC  THE  PSALMS.  1 75 

5  Thou  bearest  them  as  with  a  flood 

On  to  the  silent  deep  ; 
So  unsubstantial  and  so  vain 
Their  life  is  as  a  sleep. 

They  are  like  grass,  which  groweth  up 

6  In  the  sweet  morning  light, 
And  in  the  evening  is  cut  down, 

And  withered  to  the  sight. 

7  We  by  Thine  anger  are  consumed  ; 

8  Our  secret  sins  are  known  ; 

9  The  troubled  years  in  sorrow  pass, 

Their  end  a  sigh,*  a  groan. 

io  Three  score  and  ten  complete  our  term, 
And  should  it  reach  four  score, 
'T  is  soon  cut  off,  we  fly  away, 
And  here  are  seen  no  more. 

ii   Who  knows  the  power  of  love  incensed  ? 
Of  Thy  just  anger,  who  ? 
Of  wrath  proportioned  to  Thy  fear, 
And  awe  that  is  Thy  due  ? 

12   Teach  us  to  so  compute  our  days, 
That  we  each  hour  may  prize  ; 
Apply  our  hearts  to  learn  the  lore 
And  wisdom  of  the  skies. 


Marginal  reading. 


I76  THE  PSALMS.  XCI 

13  Return,  O  Lord,  how  long?     Do  Thou 

Compassionate  our  case  ; 

Let  it  repent  Thee  so  to  hide 

The  comfort  of  Thy  Face. 

14  With  early  mercy   satisfy, 

And  all  our  days  make  glad, 

15  According  to  the  days  and  years 

Wherein  Thou  mad'st  us  sad. 

16  Let  Thy  redeeming  work  be  seen  ; 

17  Thy  beauty  on  us  rest  ; 
Establish  Thou  what  we  attempt, 

And  be  our  labors  blest. 


P  S  A  L  M    XCI. 

WHO  has  his  refuge  in  the  sky, 
And  secret  place  of  the  Most  High, 
On  whom  the  Almighty's  shadow  falls, 
Can  have  no  need  of  towers  and  walls  : 

2  Who  puts  in  God  his  trust  sublime, 
Is  safe  from  all  the  ills  of  time. 

3  The  Lord  is  his  deliverance 

From  fowler's  snare,  and  pestilence  : 

4  His  wings  shall  a  safe  covert  yield  ; 
His  truth  a  buckler  be  and  shield. 

5  Thee  shall  no  terror  of  the  night, 
Nor  dart  that  flies  by  day  affright  ; 


XC1  THE  PSALMS.  1 77 

6  No  pest  that  in  the  darkness  hastes, 
Nor  sickness  that  at  noon-day  wastes  ; 

7  Thousands  shall  fall  at  thy  right  hand. 
But  unmolested  thou  shalt  stand  : 

8  Thou  only  with  thine  eyes  shalt  see, 
Shalt  only  a  spectator  be, 

Of  the  reward  and  recompense 
God  doth  to  wicked  men  dispense. 

9  And  inasmuch  as  thou  hast  said, 

"  The  Lord  my  refuge  is  ;  "  and  made 
Thy  habitation  the  Most  High  ; 
io   No  plague  shall  come  thy  dwelling  nigh  : 

ii    For  He  shall  give  His  angels  charge, 
With  heavenly  orders  strict  and  large, 
To  keep  thee  safe  in  all  thy  ways, 

12  And  in  their  hands  to  thee  upraise — 
Lest,  left  unto  thyself  alone, 

Thou  dash  thy  foot  against  a  stone. 

13  Thou  shalt  upon  the  lion  tread, 
And  trample  on  the  serpent's  head. 

14  Jehovah  saith  :     "  Because  that  he 
Hath  set  his  love  supreme  on  Me — 
Because  that  he  My  Name  hath  known, 
I  will  deliver  him  and  own. 

15  "  He  shall  upon  Me  call,  and  I 

Will  answer,  and  to  him  draw  nigh  : 


1^8  THE  PSALMS.  XCII 

Will  with  him  in  his  trouble  be, 
Will  honor  him  and  set  him  free  : 
16   Long  life  I  will  on  him  bestow, 
And  to  him  My  salvation  show." 


T 


PSALM     XCII. 

O  give  Jehovah  thanks, 

And  Thy  high  praises  sing, 
O  Thou  Most  High,  is  a  most  good 
And  necessary  thing. 


■2   Thy  kindness  to  show  forth 
Is  meet  at  morning  light  ; 
And  laud  Thy  love  and  faithfulness, 
At  each  return  of  night, 

3  Upon  the  decachord, 

With  psaltery  and  lute, 
And  harp  of  soft  and  solemn  sound 
The  holy  strains  to  suit. 

4  For  Thou  hast  made  me  glad, 

Through  knowledge  of  Thy  works- 
In  all  a  glorious  goodness  shines 
An  awful  beauty  lurks. 

3    How  infinite  Thy  works  ! 

Thy  thoughts  are  an  abyss  ; 
6   The  brutish  man  and  fool  alike 

Are  ignorant  of  this. 


XCII  THE  PSALMS.  1 79 

7  When  spring  they  as  the  grass, 

The  wicked,  overjoyed, 
Know  not  it  is  that  they  may  soon 
Forever  be  destroyed. 

8  But  Thou,  Jehovah,  art 

For  evermore  on  high  : 

9  Thy  foes  shall  perish,  all  their  hosts 

Be  scattered  from  the  sky. 

io  Thou  hast  my  honored  head, 

Anointed  with  fresh  oil — 
n    Mine  eye  hath  seen  Thy  Hand  stretched   out 

Mine  enemies  to  foil. 

12   The  righteous  as  a  palm 

Shall  grow  and  flourish,  like 
Cedars  of  Lebanon  whose  roots 
In  soil  congenial  strike. 

i3    They,  planted  in  Thy  House, 
Shall  in  Thy  Courts  be  seen 

14  Producing  fruit — ev'n  in  old  age 

Still  full  of  sap  and  green. 

15  Just  is  the  Lord,  who  sits 

Between  the  Cherubim  — 
He  is  my  Rock,  and  there  is  no 
Unrighteousness  in  Him. 


8o  THE  PSALMS.  XCIV 

PSALM     X  C I  I  I . 

JEHOVAH  reigns,  and  reigns  alone  : 
Earth  is  His  footstool,  heaven  his  throne  ; 
He,  with  omnipotence  arrayed, 
Of  old  the  world  's  foundations  laid. 

2  O  universal  is  Thy  sway  ; 
The  loyal  atoms  Thee  obey  ; 

All  being,  Lord,  proceeds  from  Thee, 
Who  dwellest  in  eternity. 

3  Let  angry  waves  lift  up  their  roar, 
And  dash  themselves  against  the  shore  ; 

4  Above  the  voices  of  the  deep, 

Thine  shall  be  heard  commanding  sleep. 

5  Thy  testimonies,  Lord,  endure  ; 
Thy  promises  are  very  sure  ; 
While  holiness  Thy  house  and  door 
Makes  beautiful  forevermore. 


L 


PSALM     XCIV 
ORD   God  of  recompense, 


Shine  forth  with  bickering  flame  ;* 
2   Lift  up  Thyself,  Judge  of  the  earth, 
Reward  the  proud  with  shame. 

*  And  from  about  Him  fierce  effusion  rolled 
Of  smoke,  and  bickering flame,  and  sparkles  dire. 

—Milton,  P.  /,.,  B.  VI,  I.  7bb. 


XCIV  THE  PSALMS.  l8l 

3  How  long,  O  Lord,  how  long 

Shall  wicked  men  exult  ? 

4  In  saucy  triumph  speak  hard  words, 

And  cruelly  insult  ? 

5  They  grind  the  people,  they 

Thy  heritage  oppress  ; 

6  The  widow  and  the  stranger  kill, 

Murder  the  fatherless. 

7  They  say  :  "  Jah  will  not  see, 

The  God  of  Jacob  know  " — 

8  Reflect,  ye  brutish  ones  ;  ye  fools, 

When  will  ye  wiser  grow  ? 

9  Who  made  the  ear  and  eye, 

Shall  He  not  hear  and  see  ? 
io   From  Him  who  gives  the  power  to  know,. 
Shall  knowledge  hidden  be  ? 

ii    He  knows  men's  thoughts  are  vain, 
And  like  the  breath  they  draw  : 

12  Happy  is  he  whom  Thou  dost  warn, 

And  teach,  Lord,  from  Thy  law. 

13  Thy  chastisements  are  meant 

To  profit  not  to  grieve, 
Against  the  time  the  pit  is  dug 
The  wicked  shall  receive. 


1 82  THE  PSALMS,  XCIV 

14  The  Lord  will  not  cast  off 

His  people,  nor  forsake  : 

15  For  banished  Justice  shall  return, 

And  righteous  judgment  make. 

16  Who  will  for  me  against 

The  evil-doers  rise  ? 
For  me  stand  up  against  those  who 
Iniquity  devise  ? 

17  Unless  Jehovah  were 

A  present  help  for  me. 
My  soul  would  soon  in  Silence  dwell — 
My  struggles  ended  be. 

18  When  I  said,  My  foot  slips, 

Thy  mercy,  Lord,  was  near  ; 

19  Mid  whirling  thoughts  Thy  comforts  did 

My  troubled  spirit  cheer. 

20  Shall  Crime  beside  Thee  sit, 

High  seated  on  a  throne, 
To  frame  iniquity  by  law 
And  right  be  overthrown  ? 

21  They  haste  to  congregate, 

They  rush  in  crowds,  they  hem 
Souls  of  the  righteous  in,  the  blood 
Of  innocence  condemn. 


XCV  THE  PSALMS.  1 83 

22  But  God  has  been  my  Tower, 

My  Rock,  my  sure  Defence  ; 

23  He  in  their  sins  will  cut  them  off, 

Their  evil  recompense. 


PSALM     XCV 


LET  us  to  Jehovah  raise, 
Rock  of  our  Salvation,  praise 

2  Let  us  come  with  lifted  palms  ! 
Let  us  shout  to  him  in  psalms  ! 
Let  our  joyful  thanks  arise 

To  the  Monarch  of  the  Skies  ! 

3  Inexpressible  the  odds 
'Twixt  Him  and  all  other  gods. 


4  Depths  of  earth  to  Him  belong, 
And  the  heights  of  mountains  strong 

5  His  the  sea,  made  by  His  hand 
That  created  the  dry  land. 

'6   Let  us  worship  !  let  us  bow 
'Fore  the  Lord,  our  Maker  now  ! 

7  He  's  our  God,  our  Shepherd  He, 
People  of  His  pasture  we, 

Objects  of  His  shepherd-care — 
Thus  He  doth  His  mind  declare  : 
"  O  that  ye  to-day  would  hear  ! 

8  Steel  your  hearts  not  'gainst  my  fear, 


1 84  THE  PSALMS.  XCVI 

As  at  Meribah,  no  less 
Massah  in  the  wilderness, 
9   When  your  fathers  tempted  Me, 
Proved  Me,  and  My  work  did  see  ! 

10   "  Forty  years  I,  grieving  sore, 
With  that  generation  bore  : 
'  They  a  people  are,'  I  said, 
'  That  have  always  erred  and  strayed  ; 
Irreclaimably  preverse, 
Aye  addicted  to  the  worse  ;  ' 
So  in  wrath  I  did  protest 
They  should  enter  not  my  rest." 


PSALM     XCVI. 

SING  to  Jehovah  a  new  song; 
His  great  salvation  sing  : 
2   Sing  to  Jehovah,  bless  His  name, 
The  good  news  publishing  ; 
Let  earth  her  guilty  silence  break, 
And  sweet  melodious  thunder  make. 


Among  the  nations  day  by  day 

Declare  His  power  and  love. 
How  greatly  He  is  to  be  feared 

All  heathen  gods  above — 
Vain  senseless  things  of  wood  and  stone- 
Jehovah  made  the  heavens  alone. 


XCVI  THE  PSALMS  1 85 

6  Honor  and  majesty  attend, 

And  go  before  His  Face  ; 
Beauty  and  excellence  and  strength 
Are  in  His  Holy  Place  : 

7  Ye  peoples,  long  estranged,  proclaim 
The  glory  of  Jehovah's  Name. 


8   An  offering  bring  ana  come  into 

His  Courts,  His  throne  aadress  ! 
-9   O  worship  Him  in  beauty  clad. 
Adorned  with  holiness  ! 
Tremble  before  Him  all  the  earth, 
From  whom  all  creatures  have  their  birth. 


Among  all  nations  publish  ye, 
Jehovah  reigns  on  high  : 

The  world  stands  fast  :   His  equity 
From  the  impartial  sky 

He  '11  make  on  all  alike  descend, 

And  Right  be  honored  in  the  end. 


1 1 


Let  heaven  and  earth  be  glad,  the  sea 
With  all  its  fullness  roar: 

12  Let  fields  exult,  let  happy  trees, 

Their  whispered  gladness  pour  : 

13  For,  lo,  He  comes  in  glorious  dress 
To  judge  the  world  in  righteousness. 


1 86  THE  PSALMS.  XCVI1 


PSALM     X  C  V  I  I. 

JEHOVAH  reigns  :  let  earth  rejoice  ; 
Let  all  the  isles  be  glad  ! 
He  rules  the  world  in  equity, 
And  is  with  mercy  clad. 

2  Thick  clouds  and  darkness  Him  surround  x 

But  this  great  truth  is  known, 
That  righteousness  and  judgment  are 
The  basis  of  His  throne. 

3  Before  Him  went  a  fire  that  burned  ; 

The  kindlings  of  His  look 

4  His  foes  consumed  :   His  lightnings  flamed, 

The  earth  beheld  and  shook. 

5  Melted  the  hills  like  wax  before 

The  presence  of  the  Lord  ; 

6  Loud  thundering  the  skies  declared 

His  right  to  be  adored. 

7  Put  shame  on  those  who  idols  serve — 

Things  deaf  and  dumb  and  blind  ; 
Bow  down  yourselves  to  Him,  ye  gods,. 
Vain  phrenzies  of  the  mind. 

8  Lo,  Zion  heard  it  and  was  glad  ; 

And  Judah's  daughters  sang, 
How  just  Thy  judgments  are,  O  Lord  !! 
Till  all  the  mountains  rang. 


XCVIIl  THE  PSALMS.  1 8/ 

g   For  Thou,  O  Lord,  art  high  above 
All  that  on  earth  bear  sway  : 
Thy  throne  is  in  the  heaven  of  heavens 
And  doth  not  pass  away. 

10   O  ye  that  love  the  Lord,  be  sure 

Ye  evil  hate,  and  fight  : 
ii    For  light  is  for  the  righteous  sown, 

And  joy  for  the  upright. 

PSALM     XCVIIl. 

SING  a  new  song  of  matchless  charm  ! 
The  Lord  most  wondrous  things  hath  done  : 
With  His  right  hand  and  holy  arm 
He  hath  a  victory  for  Him  won  ; 

2  Before  the  nations  hath  displayed 
His  righteousness  and  saving  aid. 

3  He  hath  been  faithful  to  His  word, 

Each  holy  pledge  remembered  still  ; 
And  in  His  mercy  hath  conferred 

This  crowning  grace  on  Israel — 
Famous  where'er  man's  foot  hath  trod 
As  "  The  Salvation  of  cur  God." 

4  Make  to  the  Lord  a  joyful  noise  ; 

Break  forth  ;   His  praise  with  rapture  sing  ; 

5  Make  melody  with  harp  and  voice, 

6  And  sound  of  trumpet  to  our  King  ; 
Join,  all  ye  dwellers  on  the  earth, 

To  give  the  mighty  transport  birth. 


1 88  THE  PSALMS.  XCIX 

7  Let  the  sea  roar,  each  wave  a  tongue  ; 

8  And  let  the  rivers  clap  their  hands  ; 
And  joy  resjund  the  hills  among; 

And  shouts  of  welcome  fill  all  lands  : 

9  For,  lo,  He  comes  in  holy  dress 

To  judge  the  world  in  righteousness. 


PSALM     XCIX. 

HOVAH  reigns,  the  Mighty  God, 
all  the  nations  shake  ! 
He  's  throned  above  the  Cherubim, 
Let  conscious  Nature  quake  ! 


JEHCP 
Let 


2  Jehovah  is  in  Zion,  great  ; 

Above  all  people,  high  ; 

3  Let  them  extol  Thy  dreadful  Name, 

And  give  the  reason  why, 

For  it  is  holy. 

4  Thy  kingly  strength  doth  judgment  love  ; 

Thou  dost  establish  right  ; 
Thou  innocence  dost  vindicate, 
And  wickedness  requite. 

5  Exalt  the  Lord  our  God  ;  approach 

His  awful  Mercy  Seat  ; 
Prostrate  yourselves  before  His  throne, 
And  worship  at  His  feet, 

For  He  is  holy. 


THE  PSALMS.  1 89 

6  Moses  and  Aaron  were  to  God 

As  priests  to  intercede  ; 
And  Samuel  called  upon  His  name, 
And  did  for  Israel  plead. 

7  They  called.  He  answered  them  ;  He  in 

The  cloudy  pillar  spake  ; 
They  kept  His  statues  which  He  gave 
And  warned  them  not  to  break. 

8  Thou  didst,  Jehovah,  answer  them — 

Wast  a  forgiving  God  ; 
But  mad'st  them  feel  for  their  misdeeds 
The  vengeance  of  Thy  rod. 

9  Exalt  the  Lord  our  God,  bow  down  ; 

Ye  people  all  draw  near  ! 

Assemble  at  His  Holy  Mount 

And  worship  in  His  fear, 

For  He  is  holy  ! 

PSALM     C. 

OALL  ye  lands,  unite  your  joys  ; 
Make  to  the  Lord  a  joyful  noise  ; 

2  Serve  Him  with  gladness  ;   come  before 

His  presence,  and  with  songs  adore  ! 

3  The  Lord  is  God,  for  He  it  is 

Who  us  has  made,  and  we  are  His  ; 
We  are  His  people,  we  His  sheep 

Whom  He  delights  to  tend  and  keep. 


19°  THE  PSALMS,  CI 

4  Enter  His  Temple  gates  with  praise  ; 

Songs  of  thanksgiving  to  Him  raise, 

5  For  He  is  good,  His  mercy  vast 

And  faithfulness  forever  last. 


PSALM     CI. 

MERCY  and  judgment  will  I  sing  ; 
To  Thee,  O  Lord,  will  I  sing  praise  ; 
2   When  Thou  shalt  come,  I,  in  Thy  strength, 
Will  walk  in  wisdom's  perfect  ways  ; 
I  will  at  home  perform  my  part, 
And  serve  Thee  with  an  honest  heart. 


3  I'll  no  base  thing  before  me  set  ; 

I  hate  their  work  who  turn  aside  ; 

4  Their  vileness  shall  not  cleave  to  me, 

Naught  evil  shall  with  me  abide. 
'5   The  slanderer  I  will  not  spare, 
The  proud  of  heart  I  will  not  bear. 


I'll  seek  them  out,  mine  eyes  shall  be 
Upon  the  faithful  of  the  Land, 

That  they  may  dwell  with  me,  and  be 
The  trusted  men  of  my  right  hand. 

Men  of  deceit  I  '11  not  employ, 

All  evil-doers  I  '11  destroy. 


CI  I  THE  PSALMS.  I9I 

P  S  A  L  M     C  I  I  . 

HEAR,  O  Jehovah,  let  my  cry 
Reach  Thy  high  dwelling-place  : 

2  In  this  dark  day  of  my  distress 

Hide  not  Thy  loving  Face. 

3  Make  haste  to  answer,  for  my  days 

Have  vanished  into  smoke; 
My  fevered  bones  cease  not  to  burn, 
And  fiery  pangs  provoke. 

4  My' heart  is  smitten,  like  the  grass 

All  withered,  scorched,  and  dried  ; 
For  I  forget  to  eat  my  bread, 
By  groans  preoccupied. 

5  So  lean,  my  skin  cleaves  to  my  bones, 

I  solitary  moan, 

6  Like  pelican  in  the  wilderness, 

Like  owl  'mid  ruins  lone  ; 

7  Like  sparrow  on  the  house-top,  I 

Unsleeping  sit  forlorn  ; 
S   While  all  day  long  my  maddened  foes 
Belch  curses  mixed  with  scorn. 

9   Sitting  in  sackcloth,  ashes  vile 
I  eaten  have  like  bread  ; 
My  tears  have  mingled  with  my  drink, 
10       For  Thy  displeasure  shed. 


92  THE  PSALMS.  CI  I 

As  by  the  whirlwind  taken  up, 
Thou  hast  me  borne  away  : 
ii    My  life  is  as  the  lengthened  shade 
That  marks  the  close  of  day. 

12   I  withered  am  like  grass,  but  Thou 
Forever  shalt  endure  ; 
And  to  all  generations,  Lord  ! 
Is  Thy  remembrance  sure. 


13  Thou  wilt  arise  and  Zion  build  ; 

For  the  set  time  and  right 

14  Is  when  Thy  servants  love  her  stones, 

And  in  her  dust  delight. 

15  So  shall  the  nations  fear  Thy  Name  ; 

All  kings  Thy  greatness  own  ; 

16  Because  the  Lord  has  Zion  built, 

And  made  His  glory  known  ; 

17  And  stooped  to  hear  the  destitute, 

Despising  not  their  prayer — 

18  The  grace  of  which  the  written  page 

To  after  times  shall  bear. 

19  Jehovah  looked  down  from  the  height 

Of  heaven  itself  to  hear 

20  The  groaning  of  the  prisoner 

And  loose  him  from  his  fear  ; 


CI  I  THE  PSALMS.  1 93 

21  That  men  in  Zion  might  declare 

His  pity  to  the  race, 

22  When  gathered  at  Jerusalem 

The  kingdoms  seek  His  face. 


23  My  strength  He  weakened  in  the  way  ; 

My  days  He  has  made  few  : 

24  I  said,  ''Remove  me  not,  my  God, 

Before  my  life  's  half  through  ! 

"Thy  years  are  endless  ;    grudge  me  not 

The  remnant  of  my  term — 
Thou  art  the  Everlasting  God 

And  I  am  but  a  worm  !  " 

25  Of  old  hast  Thou,  Almighty  One  ! 

The  earth's  foundation  laid  ; 
The  heavens  the  work  are  of  Thy  hands, 
And  are  by  Thee  upstayed. 

26  While  they  shall  perish,  Thou  shalt  last — 

These,  like  a  garment  worn, 
Thou  wilt  put  off,  new  dress  to  wear 
On  that  eternal  morn. 

27  But  Thou  art  evermore  the  same, 

Thy  years  shall  have  no  end  ; 

28  Thy  servants  shall  endure,  their  seed 

Prosperity  attend. 

9 


194  THE  PSALMS.  CIII 

PSALM    C  III. 

O    BLESS  the  Lord,  my  soul  ! 
Let  all  within  me  bless  ; 
Join,  all  my  powers,  in  psalms  of  praise 
And  hymns  of  thankfulness  ! 

2  0  bless  the  Lord,  my  soul  ! 

Let  memory  awake, 
And  think  of  all  His  benefits, 
And  grateful  mention  make  : 

3  Who  all  thy  sins  forgives  ; 

All  thy  diseases  heals  ; 

4  Who  saved  thy  life  from  threatened  death, 

And  for  thee  pity  feels. 

5  Who  gives  thee  pleasant  food, 

And  makes  an  end  of  pain  ; 
So,  like  an  eagle,  is  renewed 
Thy  faded  youth  again. 

6  He  judgment  executes 

For  all  that  are  oppressed  ; 

7  He  made  to  Israel  of  old 

His  goodness  manifest. 

8  The  Lord  is  merciful, 

And  is  to  anger  slow  ; 
The  plenteous  fountains  of  His  grace 
Continually  o'erflow. 


CIII  THE  PSALMS.  195 

9   He  will  not  always  chide, 
His  anger  always  keep  ; 
10   He  has  not  dealt  with  us  to  match 
Our  soul's  demerit  deep. 

ii    For  as  the  heaven  is  high 
Above  this  lower  sphere, 
So  great  His  mercy  is  toward  them, 
Who  reverence  Him  and  fear. 

12  Far  as  from  east  to  west, 

He  doth  our  sins  remove  ; 

13  He  pities  us,  as  parents  do 

The  children  of  their  love. 

14  For  He  knows  well  our  frame  ; 

How  frail  we  are,  He  knows  ; 
How  man's  original  is  dust, 
And  back  to  it  he  goes. 

15  His  days  are  as  the  grass  ; 

He  blossoms  like  the  flower, 

16  The  wind  sweeps  o'er  it,  and  't  is  gone — 
The  vision  of  an  hour. 

17  But  then  His  mercies  are 

Forever  and  for  aye, 

18  To  such  as  keep  His  covenant, 

And  His  commands  obey. 


I96  THE  PSALMS.  CIV 

19  His  throne  is  in  the  heavens, 

His  kingdom  over  all  : 

20  Ye  angels — that  excel  in  strength, 

Who  hearken  to  His  call, 

Then  fly  to  execute 

His  powerful  decrees — 

21  Bless  ye  the  Lord  ;  and  thou,  my  soul  ! 

22  Bless  Him  on  bended  knees. 


PSALM    CIV.* 

OLORD,  my  God  !  Thou  art 
Above  conception  great  ; 
Nature  Thy  wardrobe  is  in  part — 
The  purple  of  Thy  state. 

2   Thy  garment  is  the  light — 
Around  Thee,  lo,  are  drawn 
The  starry  mantle  of  the  night, 
The  vesture  of  the  dawn. 

*  Alexander  Von  Humboldt,  in  his  "  Cosmos,"  remarks  :  "It  might  be  said  one 
single  Psalm  (the  104th)  represents  the  image  of  the  whole  Cosmos.  .  .  We  are 
astonished  to  find  in  a  lyrical  poem  of  such  limited  compass,  the  whole  universe 
—the  heavens  and  the  earth— sketched  with  a  few  bold  touches."  Bishop  Lowth 
in  his  Lectures  refers  again  and  again  to  this  Psalm  (or  Idyllium,  as  he  some- 
where calls  it)  in  terms  of  unbounded  admiration.  He  says  :  "  There  is  nothing 
of  the  kind  extant  (indeed  nothing  can  be  conceived)  more  perfect  than  this 
Hymn,  whether  it  be  considered  with  respect  to"  its  intrinsic  beauties,  or  as  a 
model  to  this  species  of  composition."  Lord  Bacon  dedicates  to  his  "  very  good 
friend,  Mr.  George  Herbert,"  a  version  executed  in  the  heroic  couplet : 
"  Father  and  King  of  Powers,  both  high  and  low, 
Whose  sounding  fame  all  creatures  serve  to  blow,"  etc. 


CIV  THE  PSALMS.  1 97 

The  heavens  Thou  dost  extend 
As  a  pavilion  fair  ; 

3  Thy  chambers'  beams  Thou  dost  suspend 

In  watery  depths  of  air. 

The  clouds  Thy  chariots  are  ; 

4  The  winged  winds  Thy  steeds  ; 
To  bear  Thy  messages  afar 

The  flaming  lightning  speeds. 

5  Thou  founded  hast  the  earth 

On  law's  eternal  base, 
That  nothing  should,  while  time  shall  last, 
Remove  it  from  its  place. 

6  The  garment  of  the  deep 

Around  it  all  was  poured  ; 
Above  the  mountains'  highest  steep 
The  haughty  waters  roared. 

7  Thy  dread  rebuke  they  heard  ; 

They  fled,  they  hasted  down, 
Before  the  thunder  of  Thy  word, 
The  terror  of  Thy  frown. 

8  They  climb  the  mountains'  height, 

They  down  the  valleys  roll, 
Wave  chasing  wave  in  headlong  flight, 
To  the  appointed  goal. 


I98  THE  PSALMS.  CIV 

9  There  Thou  a  bound  hast  set, 
That  nevermore  the  main, 
Howe'er  the  loud  waves  rage  and  threat, 
May  drown  the  earth  again. 

10  Among  the  vales  and  hills 

A  thousand  fountains  burst  ; 
ii   There  run  cool  brooks  and  murmuring  rills 

For  beasts  to  slake  their  thirst. 


12  The  fowls  of  heaven  have  near 

Their  favorite  retreat, 
Among  the  branches  singing  clear 
Their  happy  songs  and  sweet. 

13  From  out  the  blessed  sky 

Thou  send'st  the  genial  rain  ; 
And  thirsty  vales  and  hill-tops  dry 
Revive  and  laugh  again. 

14  Thy  breath  is  in  the  fields  ; 

Thy  power  beneath  the  sod  ; 
Each  mead  and  cornfield  tribute  yields, 
And  owns  the  present  God. 

15  For  sake  of  man  and  beast, 

To  satisfy  their  needs, 
Exhaustless  Nature  spreads  this  feast, 
This  miracle  proceeds. 


CIV  THE  PSALMS,  199 

16  Majestic  cedars  prop 

The  nests  on  Lebanon  ; 

17  The  stork  prefers  the  fir-tree's  top 

To  build  her  house  upon. 

18  On  craggy  summit,  where 

Can  tread  no  other  feet, 
The  wild  goats  and  the  conies  there 
Find  both  a  safe  retreat. 

Thou  dost  for  all  provide 

Whate'er  their  natures  ask, 
A  sphere  and  faculty  to  guide, 

A  purpose  and  a  task. 

19  Alike  the  sun  and  moon 

Their  proper  seasons  wait — 
For  punctual  Nature  's  ne'er  too  soon, 
Nor  ever  yet  too  late. 

20  As  down  heaven's  headlong  steep 

The  dewy  night  is  hurled, 
Forth  from  their  dens  all  wild  beasts  creep, 
While  darkness  wraps  the  world. 

21  Young  lions  roar  for  prey, 

And  seek  their  meat  from  God  ; 

22  But  when  the  sun  arises,  they 

No  longer  roam  abroad. 


200  THE  PSALMS.  CIV 

23  Man,  now,  refreshed  by  sleep, 

Goes  forth  at  morning  light 
To  plough  the  fields,  to  sow,  or  reap, 
Till  the  return  of  night. 

24  O  Lord,  how  manifold 

The  products  of  Thy  hand — 
How  wise  !  how  wondrous  to  behold  ! 
How  admirably  planned  ! 

25  And  not  the  earth  alone, 

But  the  unfathomed  sea 
Is  filled  with  myriads  unknown, 
Whose  being  is  in  Thee. 

26  There  go  the  ships  ;  and  there 

Leviathan  disports, 
And  other  beasts  the  waters  bear — 
Innumerable  sorts. 

27  These  all  on  Thee  depend  ; 

All  wait  on  Thee  for  food  ; 

28  Thine  open  hand  Thou  dost  extend, 

And  they  are  filled  with  good. 

29  That  moment  Thou  dost  hide, 

Benignant  Lord,  Thy  Face, 
They  down  to  swift  destruction  glide, 
They  die  and  leave  no  trace. 


CIV  THE  PSALMS,  201 

30  Thou  spread'st  Thy  brooding  wing  : 

Thou  sendest  forth  Thy  breath, 
And  countless  forms  of  life  upspring 
From  out  the  dust  of  death. 

The  earth,  that  late  was  seen 

Shrunk  by  the  fatal  cold, 
Warmed  by  Thy  smile  appears  as  green 

And  beauteous  as  of  old. 

31  Thy  glory  doth  endure, 

Thy  goodness  doth  not  pass. 
Thy  works  reflect  Thine  image  pure 
Distinct  as  in  a  glass. 

32  Awe-struck  beneath  Thy  gaze, 

Earth  shakes  from  south  to  north — 
At  Thy  bare  touch  the  mountains  blaze, 
Volcanic  fires  burst  forth. 

33  While  I  have  power  to  praise, 

And  being  have  and  breath, 
My  joyful  songs  to  Thee  I  '11  raise, 
Nor  shall  they  cease  at  death. 

34  What  tongue  cannot  repeat, 

That  silence  shall  express  ; 
My  thoughts  of  Thee  shall  still  be  sweet. 
Whose  love  is  fathomless. 


202  THE  PSALMS.  CIV 

35   Though  Thou  canst  be  severe, 
As  impious  men  shall  know, 
Yet  to  the  humble  and  sincere 
Thy  grace  doth  overflow. 

My  soul,  bless  thou  the  Lord  ! 

Glad  hallelujahs  sing  ! 
Let  rapturous  praise  be  ever  poured 

From  an  exhaustless  spring. 


SECOND    VERSION. 


o 


LORD  my  God  !     Thou  art 
Of  all  that  is  the  soul — 
The  mystery  of  every  part, 
The  glory  of  the  whole. 


2  Thou  art  the  Light  of  light, 

Light  is  Thy  dazzling  veil — 
Compared  with  this,  Thy  raiment  white, 
The  light  of  suns  is  pale. 

With  high  aerial  grace, 

The  azure  firmament 
Thou  hangest  o'er  the  empty  place, 

In  likeness  of  a  tent. 

3  Thy  chambers'  buoyant  beams 

Rest  on  that  upper  sea, 
Where  unseen  rivers  flow,  and  streams 
Pour  tribute  silently. 


CIV  THE  PSALMS,  203 

Thou  makest  clouds  Thy  car, 
By  winds  tempestuous  driven  ; 

4  Th'  obedient  lightnings  bear  afar 

The  messages  of  Heaven. 

5  Immovably  Thy  hand 

The  earth  established — still 
Beneath  its  strong  foundations  stand 
The  pillars  of  Thy  will. 

6  Thou  poured'st  the  deep  around, 

Whose  waters  roared  and  swirled 
Above  the  mountains  of  a  drowned 
And  ocean-buried  world. 

7  At  Thy  rebuking  word, 

They  trembling  fled  away — 
The  thunder  of  Thy  voice  they  heard 
And  hastened  to  obey. 

8  In  endless  ebb  they  shrink 

To  lower  levels  fast  ; 
The  mountains  rise,  the  valleys  sink, 
Till,  gathered  at  the  last, 

9  They  keep  the  place  assigned — 

Th'  unsounded  depths  of  seas, 
By  bars  of  adamant  confined, 
And  Thy  unchanged  decrees. 


204  THE  PSALMS,  CIV 

10  In  valleys  cool  and  sweet, 

Spring  brooks  and  murmuring  rills, 
That  walk  the  meads  with  shining  feet, 
And  run  among  the  hills. 

ii    Beasts  of  the  field  there  drink  : 
Wild  asses  thirst  allay  ; 

12  Among  the  trees  that  shade  the  brink 

Sing  happy  birds  all  day. 

13  Thou  water'st  all  the  land, 

And  makest  glad  the  sod  ; 
The  earth  contented  owns  the  hand 
And  husbandry  of  God. 

14  Thou  makest  grass  to  spring 

For  cattle  ;  and  dost  plan 
Supplies  of  every  needful  thing 
For  the  support  of  man. 

15  The  tilled  and  teeming  soil 

Brings  forth  the  foodful  wine, 
That  cheers  the  heart  of  man,  and  oil 
That  makes  his  face  to  shine. 

16  The  cedars  of  the  Lord, 

The  pride  of  Lebanon, 
With  plenteous  sap  and  vigor  stored, 
Thou  planted'st  every  one. 


CIV  THE  PSALMS.  20; 

17  The  birds  there  build,  and  hide 
Their  nests  from  human  ken  ; 
Fir  trees  for  storks  a  house  provide, 
Far  from  the  haunts  of  men. 

iS  The  wild  goats  climb  the  steep 
Of  friendly  hills  that  mocks 
Pursuing  feet  ;  and  conies  creep 
For  safety  in  the  rocks. 

All  these  Thy  thoughts  employ  ; 

Thy  tender  mercies  share  ; 
The  great  and  mean  alike  enjoy 

Thy  universal  care. 

19  The  changeful  moon  observes 

Thine  ordinances  yet  ; 
The  sun  his  orbit  keeps,  nor  swerves, 
And  knows  his  time  to  set. 

20  Thou  makest  dark  :  't  is  night, 

Mid  settling  shadows  brown, 
Wild  beasts  with  eyeballs  flashing  light 
The  forests  trample  down. 

21  Young  lions  roar  for  prey, 

And  food  from  Thee  require  ; 

22  But,  when  the  sun  arises,  they 

Back  to  their  dens  retire. 


206  THE  PSALMS,  CIV 

23  After  the  night's  repose, 

Refreshed  in  every  power, 
Man  to  his  work  and  labor  goes, 
Until  the  evening  hour. 

24  O  Lord,  how  manifold 

Thy  works,  in  wisdom  framed  ; 
The  earth  is  full  of  wealth  untold, 
Beneficence  unnamed. 

25  So  this  great  sea  and  wide, 

Where  things  unnumbered  creep  ; 
Beasts  small  and  great  there  swiftly  glide 
And  populate  the  deep. 

26  There  go  the  ships  ;  there  plough 

Monsters  of  mighty  fin — 
That  huge  leviathan,  whom  Thou 
Hast  made  to  play  therein. 

27  These  wait  without  alarm 

On  Thee,  their  bounteous  Lord, 
Who  hang'st  Creation  on  Thine  arm, 
And  feed'st  it  at  Thy  board. 

28  Thy  love  and  pity  grand 

Assure  them  timely  food  ; 
Thou  op'nest  Thy  paternal  hand, 
And  they  are  filled  with  good. 


CIV  THE  PSALMS.  207 

29  Thou  hid'st  Thy  Face  and  they 

Are  struck  with  mortal  fear  ; 
Thou  takest  soon  their  breath  away, 
They  die  and  disappear. 

30  Thy  Spirit  broods  above, 

They  live,  in  numbers  more  ; 
The  earth  beneath  Thy  smile  of  love 
Seems  fairer  than  before. 

31  The  glory  of  Thy  power 

Shall  stand  as  it  has  stood, 
Since  that  divine  rejoicing  hour 
When  Thou  mad'st  all  things  good. 

32  Earth  trembles  at  the  stroke 

Of  Thy  swift-glancing  eyes  ; 
The  hills  Thou  touchest  and  they  smoke — 
Volcanic  flames  arise. 

33  O  Lord  my  God  !  I  fling 

Me  down  at  Thy  dear  feet  ; 
There  will  I  lie  and  gladly  sing 
Adoring  anthems  sweet. 

34  Bless  thou  the  Lord,  my  soul  ! 

Permitted  as  thou  art, 
Of  this  majestic  cosmic  whole 
To  form  a  noble  part. 


208  THE  PSALMS.  CV 

PSALM     C  V. 


G- 


IVE  to  Jehovah  thanks  and  praise  ! 
And  call  upon  His  Name — 
Th'  Eternal,  Self-existent  One, 
From  age  to  age  the  same. 


Among  the  nations  it  declare, 
And  make  His  doings  known  ; 

2  Talk  ye  of  all  His  wondrous  works, 

His  grace  to.  Israel  shown. 

3  O  glory  in  His  Holy  Name  ! 

Who  seek  Him  shall  rejoice  : 

4  Ye  people,  seek  ;  Jehovah  choose, 

And  triumph  in  your  choice  ; 

5  And  keep  perpetually  in  mind 

The  miracles  He  wrought  ; 
The  judgments  of  His  mouth,  likewise, 
With  dreadful  warning  fraught. 

6  Ye  faithful  Abrah'm's  chosen  seed, 

Jehovah  is  our  God  ! 

7  His  judgments  are  in  all  the  earth — 

He  wields  a  chastening  rod. 

8  He  made  a  lasting  covenant 

9  With  Abrah'm,  and  it  sealed 
io  By  oath,  and  it  a  statute  made 

Never  to  be  repealed  ; 


CV  THE  PSALMS.  209 

11  Saying,  "  To  thee  I  '11  give  the  land 

Of  Canaan  ;  it  shall  be 
The  lot  of  your  inheritance 
By  title  got  from  Me  " — 

12  A  promise  made,  what  time  they  were 

In  number  very  few, 
And  strangers  there,  mere  travelers, 
The  country  passing  through. 

13  From  nation  they  to  nation  went  ; 

Their  trust  in  God  they  put  ; 
From  realm  to  realm  they  journeyed  safe, 
With  free  unfettered  foot. 

14  He  suffered  none  to  do  them  wrong  ; 

Rebuked  kings  for  their  sake  ; 

15  Said,  "  Touch  not  my  anointed  ones  ; 

Let  them  no  injury  take  !  " 

16  He  brought  a  famine  on  the  land  ; 

He  brake  the  staff  of  bread  ; 

17  He  sent  a  man  before  them,  that 

The  starving  might  be  fed. 

iS  Joseph  was  sold  in  Egypt,  where, 
Upon  false  charges  made,   . 
His  feet  they  with  strong  fetters  hurt 
And  him  in  irons  laid  : 


210  THE  PSALMS,  CV 

19  Till  when  his  word  had  come  to  pass, 
And  him  the  Lord  had  proved, 
The  ruler  of  the  people  sent 
And  had  his  chains  removed  ; 

21  And  made  him  lord  of  all  his  house, 

And  gave  him  full  control 
Of  all  his  wealth,  to  follow  out 
The  pleasure  of  his  soul  ; 

22  To  bind  his  chiefs  ;  his  elders  teach 

The  arts  of  wise  command. 

23  Then  Israel  into  Egypt  came 

And  sojourned  in  the  land. 

24  When  much  increased,  and  stronger  grown 

Than  those  they  served,  these  say  : 

25  "We  '11  shrewdly  deal,  we  '11  them  oppress, 

Each  son  at  birth  will  slay." 

26  He  Moses  did  depute  and  send, 

And  Aaron  whom  He  chose  ; 

27  They  signs  and  prodigies  displayed 

Among  their  cruel  foes. 

28  He  darkness  sent,  and  made  it  dark, 

Their  hearts  with  terror  filled  ; 

29  He  turned  their  waters  into  blood, 

And  all  their  fish  He  killed. 


CV  THE  PSALMS,  211 

30  Their  land  was  filled  with  countless  frogs, 

Ev'n  chambers  of  their  kings  : 

31  He  spake,  there  came  great  swarms  of  flies, 

And  gnats  inflicting  stings. 

32  He  gave  them  hail  instead  of  rain, 

And  flame  swept  through  the  land  ; 

33  Their  vines  and  fig  trees  smote,  and  brake 

The  trees  on  every  hand. 

34  He  spake,  and  straight  the  locusts  came 

In  numbers  without  bound  ; 

35  Grasshoppers,  too,  that  ate  up  all 

The  products  of  the  ground. 

36  He  smote  likewise  all  their  first-born, 

The  chief  of  all  their  strength  : 

37  Laden  with  silver  and  with  gold 

He  brought  them  forth  at  length. 

Among  the  tribes  there  was  not  one 
That  feebleness  betrayed  : 

38  Egypt  was  glad  when  they  were  gone, 

Because  she  was  afraid. 

39  A  cloud  He  for  a  covering  spread  ; 

For  light  at  night  a  fire  ; 

40  Fed  them  with  bread  from  heaven,  and  quails 

To  answer  their  desire. 


212  THE  PSALMS.  CVI 

41  He  smote  the  rock,  and  waters  gushed, 

That  like  a  river  ran 
Through  dry  and  thirsty  places  where 
There  was  no  drink  for  man. 

42  He  kept  His  holy  word  in  mind 

To  Abrah'm  pledged,  and  brought 

43  His  chosen  people  forth  With  joy 

Unto  the  Land  they  sought. 

44  The  Land  of  many  peoples  gave 

Them  richly  to  possess  ; 

45  That  they  might  all  His  statutes  keep — 

Praise  ye  the  Lord  and  bless. 


P 


PSALM     CVI. 

RAISE  ye  the  Lord,  for  He  is  good, 
Llis  mercy  lasts  the  ages  through  : 
What  tongue  can  tell  His  mighty  acts 
Or  utter  all  His  praises  due? 


3  Happy  are  they  who  judgment  keep  ; 

Who  never  from  Thy  law  depart  ; 
Who  love  the  ways  of  righteousness 
And  serve  the  Lord  with  perfect  heart. 

4  Regard  me  with  the  favor,  Lord, 

Thou  bear'st  Thy  people  ;  visit  me 

5  With  Thy  salvation,  that  I  may 

The  welfare  of  Thy  chosen  see  ! 


C  V I  THE  PSA  IMS.  2  I  3 

6  But  we  have  with  our  fathers  sinned  ; 

Have  from  Thy  testimonies  swerved  ; 
Our  covenant  with  Thee  have  broke  ; 
And  all  we  suffer  have  deserved. 

7  Mindless  of  signs  in  Egypt  wrought, 

Rebellious  words  our  fathers  spake 
S  At  the  Red  Sea  ;   He  yet  them  saved, 

By  His  great  power  for  His  Name's  sake. 

9  The  Sea  dried  up  at  His  rebuke  : 

He  through  its  hidden  depths  them  led — 
That  seemed  a  low  and  level  plain, 
Solid  and  firm  beneath  their  tread. 


10  When  safe  upon  the  further  shore, 

The  waters,  which  for  them  were  cleft, 

11  Closed  over  the  pursuing  foe, 

Not  one  of  their  whole  member  left. 


12  Then  they  believed  His  words  ;  they  sang 

13  His  praise,  but  soon  His  works  forgot — 
Self-willed,  impatient,  they  made  haste, 

And  waited  for  His  counsel  not. 

14  They  lusted  in  the  wilderness, 

And  tempted  God — on  having  bent — 

15  Displeased,  He  gave  them  their  request, 

But  in  their  souls  He  leanness  sent. 


214  THE  PSALMS.  CVI 

16  They  Moses  envied  in  the  camp, 

And  Aaron,  made  high  priest  to  be  ; 

17  Earth  oped — with  Dathan  swallowed  were 

Abiram  and  his  company. 

18  A  fire  was  kindled,  and  consumed 

Korah  and  all  his  wicked  crew. 
In  spite  of  judgments  Israel  still 
Remained  rebellious  and  untrue. 

19  They  made  a  calf  at  Horeb  ;  thus 

20  They  changed  their  Glory  for,  alas  ! 
The  molten  likeness  of  an  ox 

That  chews  his  cud  and  feeds  on  grass. 

21  They  God  forgat,  their  Saviour,  who 

Had  graciously,  to  set  them  free, 

22  In  Egypt  done  great  things  for  them 

And  terrible  by  the  Red  Sea. 

23  Therefore  He  said  :   "  I  '11  them  destroy  !  " 

But  nevertheless  allowed  to  plead, 
Moses  His  chosen — who  in  the  breach 
Before  Him  stood  to  intercede. 

24  Yea,  they  despised  the  pleasant  Land  ; 

And  they  discredited  His  word  ; 

25  They  daily  murmured  in  their  tents, 

And  harkened  not  unto  the  Lord. 


CVI  THE  PSALMS.  21 5 

26  So  with  uplifted  hand  He  sware 

They  should  the  Promised  Land  not  see — 

27  Their  seed  should  'mong  the  nations  fall, 

And  in  all  lands  should  scattered  be. 

28  To  Baal-Peor  they  them  joined  ; 

Things  offered  to  dead  idols  ate  ; 

29  By  their  nefarious  deeds  provoked, 

A  plague  them  slew  in  numbers  great. 

30  Then  stood  up  Phinehas  alone, 

And  executed  judgment  fell  ! 
The  plague  was  stayed — in  this  bold  act 

31  'T  was  ever  held  that  he  did  well. 

32  At  Meribah  they  angered  Him  ; 

And  Moses  suffered  for  their  sake, 

33  Because,  beyond  endurance  vexed, 

He  foolishly  and  rashly  spake. 

34  The  peoples  they  did  not  destroy — 

Unmindful  of  the  Lord's  commands — 

35  But  mixed  with  them,  and  learned  their  works, 

36  And  served  their  idols  made  with  hands  ; 

And  these  became  a  snare  to  them  ; 
By  horrible  example  led, 

37  They  sons  and  daughters  sacrificed — 

33       Their  guiltless  blood  to  demons  shed. 


2 1 6  THE  PSA  IMS.  C  VI 

39  Thus  they  the  Land  with  blood  defiled, 

And  played  the  harlot  'fore  the  Lord  ; 

40  Therefore  His  wrath  was  kindled  so 

He  His  inheritance  abhorred. 

41  He  to  the  nations  gave  them  up, 

Up  to  the  tyranny  of  those 

42  Who  hated  them — caused  them  to  bow 

Their  stiff  proud  necks  to  cruel  foes. 

43  He  many  times  delivered  them, 

But  they,  rebellious  and  perverse, 
Were  by  their  crimes,  full  oft,  brought  low — 
Such  their  propension  to  the  worse. 

44  Yet  when  He  heard  their  moaning  cry, 

45  His  covenant  He  called  to  mind, 

46  And  pitied  them,  and  made  the  hearts 

Of  captors  pitiful  and  kind. 

47  Save  us,  O  Lord  !  and  gather  us 

From  out  the  nations,  and  restore, 
That  we  may  give  Thee  sounding  thanks 
And  triumph  in  Thy  praise  once  more. 

Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  from  everlasting  to 
everlasting  ;  and  let  all  the  people  say,  Amen.  Praise 
ye  the  Lord. 


BOOK    V. 


PSALM     C  V  I  I. 

IVE  Jehovah  thanks,  for  He 
Is  most  good  ;    His  mercy  vast 
Compasses  eternity, 

Future  ages  and  the  past. 


G 


2  So  let  His  redeemed  attest, 

3  Whom  He  gathered  and  led  forth 
From  the  east  and  from  the  west, 

From  the  south  and  from  the  north. 

4  They  the  desert  wandering  o'er, 

Found  no  permanent  abode ; 

5  Hungry  and  athirst,  foot-sore, 

Faint  they  sunk  beneath  the  load. 

6  Then  unto  the  Lord  they  cried, 

In  their  hour  of  bitter  need  ; 
He  with  their  requests  complied, 
And  from  their  distresses  freed. 
10 


2 1 8  THE  PSA  IMS.  C  VI I 

7  By  a  straight  way  He  them  led 

From  the  wilderness,  to  go 
To  a  land  inhabited, 

Where  abundant  harvests  grow. 

8  O  that  men  would  praise  the  Lord, 

And  Him  never  grieve  again, 
For  His  goodness  that  restored, 
And  His  wondrous  works  to  men  ! 

9  For  He  satisfies  the  needs 

Of  the  longing  soul  with  food, 
And  the  hungry  soul  He  feeds 
With  a  plentitude  of  good. 


io  Those  that  in  dark  prisons  lay, 

Being  bound  with  iron  bands — 

ii   Having  dared  to  disobey, 

And  contemn  the  Lord's  commands- 

12  Were  brought  down  with  heavy  toil, 

Victims  of  oppression  made, 
Slaves  compelled  to  drudge  and  moil, 
With  no  hand  to  render  aid  : 

13  Then  unto  the  Lord  they  cried, 

In  their  hour  of  bitter  need  ; 
He  with  their  requests  complied, 
And  from  their  distresses  freed. 


CVII  THE  PSALMS.  219 

14  Out  of  death-shade  made  them  pass, 

Iron  bands  asunder  broke, 
Burst  the  mighty  gates  of  brass, 
Loosed  the  captive  from  his  yoke. 

15  O  that  men  would  praise  the  Lord, 

And  Him  never  grieve  again, 
For  the  goodness  that  restored, 
And  His  wondrous  works  to  men  ! 


17  Fools,  because  of  their  misdeeds, 

Painful  fetch  uncertain  breath  ; 

18  Mid  the  loathings  sickness  breeds, 

They  draw  near  the  gates  of  death. 

They  bat  reap  what  they  have  sown — 
Tossed  with  fever,  racked  with  pain, 

Conscious  they  deserve  each  groan, 
Guilt  forbids  them  to  complain. 

19  Then  unto  the  Lord  they  cry, 

Bending  unaccustomed  knees  : 
He  beholds  with  pitying  eye, 
And  from  their  distresses  frees. 

20  He  sends  forth  His  healing  word, 

Pain  and  weakness  to  dispel  : 
With  new  life  the  frame  is  stirred, 
And  the  sick  again  are  well. 


220  r&E  PSA  LMS.  CVI1 

21   O  that  men  would  praise  the  Lord, 
And  Him  never  grieve  again, 
For  the  goodness  that  restored, 
And  His  wondrous  works  to  men  ! 


23  They  that  with  stout  hearts  and   bold 

O'er  the  sea  in  vessels  sweep, 

24  These  Jehovah's  works  behold, 

And  His  wonders  in  the  deep. 

25  He  commands  :  a  stormy  wind 

Lifts  the  ocean  from  its  bed  ; 
In  fierce  battle  now  combined 
Each  mad  billow  lifts  its  head. 

26  Up  to  heaven  the  bark  is  tost  ; 

Poised  upon  the  steep  wave's  brink, 
They  give  up  themselves  for  lost, 
As  again  they  downward  sink. 

27  Like  a  drunken  man  they  reel, 

Pitching,  staggering  to  and  fro  ; 
All  their  skill  is  vain  they  feel — 
What  to  do  they  do  not  know. 

28  Then  unto  the  Lord  they  cry, 

Bending  unaccustomed  knees  ; 
He  beholds  with  pitying  eye, 
And  from  their  distresses  frees. 


CVII  THE  PSALMS.  221 

29  Howls  the  tempest  now  no  more  ; 

Calm  and  peaceful  is  the  sea  ; 

30  So  He  brings  them  safe  to  shore, 

To  the  port  where  they  would  be. 

31  O  that  men  would  praise  the  Lord, 

And  Him  never  grieve  again  ; 
For  the  goodness  that  restored, 
And  His  wondrous  works  to  men  ! 


32  Let  the  people  Him  extol, 

When  they  in  th'  assembly  meet  ! 
Let  the  elders  one  and  all 

Praise  Him  in  the  council-seat ! 

33  He  a  barren  desert  makes 

34  Of  fair  fields  and  watered  plains  ; 
For  the  sinful  dwellers'  sake, 

Fire  and  brimstone  on  them  rains. 

35  He  the  burning  desert  cools  ; 

Springing  waters  upward  burst; 
Sky-reflecting  crystal  pools, 

Running  streamlets  slaking  thirst, 

Turn  the  sand  to  fruitful  loam  ; — 

36  And  He  makes  the  hungry  there 
Dwell  in  peace,  that  they  a  home 

And  a  city  may  prepare, 


222  THE  PSALMS.  CV1II 

37  Sow  the  fields,  and  plant  the  vine  : 

He  doth  them  increase  and  bless, 

38  Fostered  by  His  power  divine, 

Lets  their  cattle  grow  no  less. 

39  They  are  minished  and  bowed  down, 

By  oppression's  hand  abased  ; 

40  Princes  blasted  by  His  frown, 

Wander  in  a  pathless  waste. 

41  He  the  poor  in  families 

Sets,  where  no  afflictions  come  ; 

42  It  the  upright  gladly  sees 

And  iniquity  is  dumb. 

43  Who  is  wise  will  ponder  well, 

Nor  despise  the  warning  voice  ; 
Will  upon  His  mercies  dwell, 

And  with  trembling  heart  rejoice. 


PSALM     C  V  I  I  I .  * 

Y  heart  is  fixed,  my  heart  is  fixed, 
I  will,  O  God.  Thy  praises  sing  : 
Awake,  my  soul !  with  voice  be  mixed, 
Both  lute  and  harp  !  your  every  string. 


M 


3  I  '11  wake  the  dawn  ;   I  '11  celebrate 

Thy  praise  among  the  nations,  for 

4  Thy  Mercy  and  Thy  Truth  are  great, 

High  o'er  the  heavens  for  evermore. 

*This  Psalm  is  compiled  from  two  others— verses  1-5  are  substantially  the  same 
as  Ps.  57  :  7-11 ;  vs.  6-12  as  Ps.  60  :  5-12. 


CV1I I  THE  PSALMS.  223 

5   Be  Thou  exalted,  God  Most  High  ! 
Above  all  praise,  all  thought  above, 
Above  the  earth,  above  the  sky, 

High  seated  on  Thy  throne  of  love  ! 


6  That  Thy  beloved  ones 

May  be  delivered,  save 
With  Thy  right  hand,  and  o'er  us  let 
Victorious  ensigns  wave  ! 

7  God  in  His  holiness 

Hath  spoken — I,  therefore, 
Will  triumph  in  the  confidence 
He  will  the  lost  restore  : 

Then  the  reconquered  Land 

I  will  again  divide — 
Succoth  and  Schechem — and  his  part 

Mete  out  to  every  tribe. 

8  Mine  's  Gilead  ;  and  mine  's 

Manasseh's  either  half  ; 
My  head's  defence  is  Ephraim  ; 
Judah  's  my  royal  staff  ; 

<)   Moab  my  wash-pot  is, 

Wherein  I  '11  wash  my  feet  ; 
O'er  Edom  I  '11  extend  my  sway, 
Philistia  I  '11  unseat. 


224  THE  PSALMS.  CIX 

10  Who  will  me  bring  into 
Edom's  fenced  capital  ? 
Surmount  its  muniment  of  rocks, 
Impregnable  high  wall? 

ii   Thou  who  hast  cast  us  off, 

Wilt  Thou  not  lead  our  van  ? 

12  O  give  us  help  from  trouble,  for 

Vain  is  the  help  of  man  : 

13  Go  forth  Thou  with  our  hosts, 

And  marshal  and  dispose  ! 
We  shall  through  God  do  valiantly, 
For  He  '11  tread  down  our  foes. 

PSALM     CIX. 

HOLD  not  Thy  peace,  God  of  my  praise! 
For  they  against  me  slanders  raise  ; 
With  tongue  of  falsehood  and  deceit 

3  They  words  of  causeless  hate  repeat. 

4  They  for  my  love  return  ill-will, 
But  I  to  prayer  devote  me  still  ; 

5  Evil  for  good  they  've  on  me  laid, 
My  love  with  hatred  have  repaid. 

6  Measure  for  measure  him  be  given, 
By  the  dispensing  hand  of  heaven  ; 
The  woes  he  loves  to  others  deal, 
Let  him  in  his  own  person  feel. 


CIX  THE  PSALMS.  225 

O'er  him  the  wicked  give  command  ; 
Th'  accuser  set  on  his  right  hand  ; 

7  When  tried,  let  him  no  favor  win, 
His  prayer  for  mercy  be  for  sin. 

8  His  days  make  few  and  evil  make  ; 
His  office  let  another  take  ; 

9  His  children  be  of  sire  bereft, 
And  be  his  wife  a  widow  left. 

10  And  let  his  orphaned  children  roam, 
Poor  vagabonds  without  a  home — 
From  some  decayed  and  ruined  shed 
Let  them  creep  forth  to  beg  for  bread. 

11  Let  the  extortioner  lay  toils  ; 

And  strangers  from  him  gather  spoils  ; 

12  Pity  to  show  let  there  be  none 
Either  to  father  or  to  son. 

13  Let  him  posterity  have  not  ; 
His  name  be  blotted  and  forgot  ; 

14  His  father's  guilt,  his  mother's  sin, 

15  Make  him  as  though  he  'd  never  been  ; 

16  Because  that  he  no  pity  knew, 
And  did  th'  afflicted  one  pursue  ; 
With  deadly  malice  and  hot  breath 
The  broken  hearted  hunt  to  death. 


226  THE  PSALMS.  CIX 

17  Cursing  he  loved,  and  so  the  same 
Down  on  himself  revolving  came  : 
He  had  in  blessing  no  delight 
And  so  't  was  far  from  him  of  right. 

18  He  on  him  as  a  garment  put 

Cursing,  that  reached  from  head  to  foot — 
Close  fitting,  clinging  to  the  skin 
That  sucked  the  raging  madness  in. 

19  Be  it  to  him  a  poisoned  vest  ; 
And  let  his  bones  imbibe  the  pest  ; 

20  And  let  this  be  his  just  reward, 

A  righteous  judgment  from  the  Lord. 


21  But,  Thou   Lord,  gracious  be  to  me, 
(For  Thou  art  good)  and  set  me  free  ; 
Because  I  needy  am  and  poor, 

22  And  wounded  is  my  heart  and  sore. 

23  Like  shadows,  which  at  close  of  day 
Lengthen,  I  passing  am  away  ; 
Like  locust,  tost  and  helpless  driven 
Before  the  stormy  winds  of  heaven. 

24  My  tottering  knees  beneath  me  fail  ; 
Through  fasting  I  've  grown  lean  and  pale 

25  Reproach,  of  scorn  and  hatred  bred, 
They  cast  on  me,  and  wag  their  head. 


CX  THE  PSALMS.  227 

26  Thy  help,  O  Lord  my  God,  I  crave  ; 
According  to  Thy  mercy,  save  ! 

27  That  they  the  act  may  understand 
Is  done  by  Thy  delivering  hand. 

28  They  will  me  curse,  but  Thou  wilt  bless  ; 

29  Shame  shall  them  cover  as  a  dress  ; 
Like  to  a  mantle  shall  their  own 
Confusion  be  around  them  thrown. 

30  I  to  the  Lord  great  thanks  will  give, 
And  sound  His  praises  while  I  live  ; 

31  For  He  is  present  to  console 

And  save  from  them  that  judge  my  soul. 

PSALM     C  X . 

JEHOVAH  said  unto  my  Lord  : 
"  Sit  Thou  on  My  right  hand, 
Till  I  Thy  foes  Thy  footstool  make, 
Thy  foes  of  every  land." 

2  Jehovah  out  of  Zion  shall 

Rod  of  Thy  strength  extend  ; 
Thine  enemies  shall  own  Thy  rule, 
All  nations  to  Thee  bend. 

3  Thy  people  free-will  offerings*  are, 

Men  to  Thy  service  sworn  ; 
Decked  with  the  pearls  of  holiness, 
Like  dew-drops  of  the  morn. 

*  So  the  Hebrew. 


228  THE  PSALMS.  CXI 

4   Sworn  hath  Jehovah,  He  '11  not  change  : 
"Thou  shalt  forever  be, 
After  the  order  of  Melchizedek, 
A  Royal  Priest  to  Me  !  " 

5   The  Lord,  the  strength  of  Thy  right  hand, 
Opposing  kings  shall  smite  : 
He  will  among  the  nations  judge, 
And  vindicate  the  right. 

6  In  many  countries  o'er  broad  lands 

The  warrior  heaps  the  dead  ; 

7  Quenches  his  thirst  by  way-side  brook 

And  victor  lifts  his  head. 


PSALM     CXI. 

RAISE  Jehovah!  I  will  bring 

All  my  powers  His  praise  to  sing  ; 
Mid  the  consecrated  ranks 
Of  the  upright  will  give  thanks. 


P 


2  Great  the  works  Jehovah  wrought. 
To  be  diligently  sought, 

3  Memorable,  matchless,  grand — 
Aye  His  righteousness  shall  stand 

4  Kind,  compassionate,  and  dear, 

5  Food  He  gives  to  them  who  fear  : 
Of  His  covenant  He  will  be 
Mindful  to  eternity. 


CXII  THE  PSALMS.  229 

6  To  His  people  He  made  known 
His  great  power,  in  Canaan  shown  ; 
'Gainst  the  nations  war  did  wage  ; 
Made  the  Land  their  heritage. 

7  All  His  works  are  just  and  pure  ; 
And  His  precepts  all  are  sure  ; 

8  Stablished  are  for  aye  each  one, 
Truly  spoke  and  rightly  done. 

9  Their  redemption  He  obtained  ; 
He  His  covenant  ordained  ; 
True  to  His  eternal  pact — 
Gracious  promise  turned  to  fact. 

All  His  mighty  works  proclaim 
Fearful  is  His  Holy  Name  : 
10  Whosoever  wisdom  wins 
With  Jehovah's  fear  begins. 

He  is  wise  who  understands, 
Keeps  His  precepts  and  commands  ; 
Whose  great  goodness  ceases  never, 
And  His  praise  endures  forever. 


H 


PSALM     CXII. 

ALLELUJAH  !     This  attest 
He  who  fears  the  Lord  is  blest ; 
Knowing  His  commands  are  right 
He  in  them  finds  great  delight. 


230  THE  PSALMS.  CXII 

2  Mighty  shall  his  offspring  be  ; 
Blest  with  great  prosperity  ; 

3  Wealth  be  in  his  house  and  hand  ; 
Aye  his  righteousness  shall  stand. 

4  There  arises  to  the  upright, 

In  the  midst  of  darkness,  light  : 
.    Righteous  he,  compassionate, 
Kind  to  the  unfortunate. 

5  Happy  he  who  favor  shows, 
Lends,  or  generously  bestows  ; 
He  '11  his  course  by  justice  guide, 

6  And  unmoved  shall  e'er  abide  : 

And  his  righteousness  shall  be 
Always  kept  in  memory — 
Fixed  his  heart  and  void  of  fear, 
Trusting,  loving,  and  sincere. 

7  Of  bad  news  he  's  not  afraid  ; 
On  the  Lord  his  heart  is  stayed  ; 

8  He  shall  no  misgivings  own, 
Till  his  foes  are  overthrown. 

9  He  has  to  the  needy  given  ; 
He  accepted  is  of  Heaven  ! 
High  his  horn  shall  lifted  be  ; 

io  Grieved  the  wicked  shall  it  see. 


C  X I V  THE  PSA  LMS.  2  3  I 

PSALM      C  X  I  I  I  . 

HALLELUJAH  !  praise  accord, 
O  ye  servants  of  the  Lord  ! 

2  Let  His  Name  exalted  be 
Now,  and  through  eternity  ; 

3  From  the  rising  of  the  sun 
To  its  setting  be  it  done  ! 

4  High  above  all  nations  His 
Everlasting  Kingdom  is  ; 
Higher  than  His  dwelling-place, 
Is  the  glory  of  His  grace. 

5  Who  's  like  Him  who  stoops  to  see 
What  in  heaven  and  earth  there  be  ? 

7  ^He  the  needy  and  the  poor 

Raises  up  to  sit  secure 

8  With  the  nobles  of  the  land, 
Princes  holding  high  command. 
He  the  barren  woman  takes 
And  a  joyful  mother  makes. 

Hallelujah  ! 


PSALM     CXIV. 

HEN  Israel,  held  in  bondage  long, 
Out  from  the  land  of  Egypt  went, 
2   She  was  His  sanctuary  strong, 

And  from  her  midst  His  law  was  sent. 


^ 


2$2  THE  PSALMS.  CXV 

3  The  Sea  affrighted  saw,  and  fled  ; 

Jordan  amazed  was  driven  back  ; 
While  down  across  the  waters'  bed 
Dry-shod,  she  kept  her  onward  track. 

4  The  conscious  Mountains  skipped  like  rams — 

Sinai  and  Horeb  in  their  place — 
The  quickened  Hills  leaped  up  like  lambs, 
Thrilled  with  deep  awe  from  top  to  base. 

5  Why  fleddest  thou,  O  Sea  ?  and  why 

O  Jordan,  did  thy  waters  shrink? 
Why  then  were  left  your  channels  dry, 
That  moment  Israel  touched  your  brink  ? 

6  Ye  Mountains,  why  skipped  ye  like  rams, 

Sinai  and  Horeb  in  your  place  ? 
And  why,  ye  Hills,  leaped  ye  like  lambs, 
Thrilled  with  deep  awe  from  top  to  base  ? 

7  Tremble,  thou  Earth,  and  be  afraid  ! 

The  Lord,  the  God  of  Israel  hear  ; 

8  Whose  presence  turned  the  rock,  and  made 

The  flint  a  fount  of  waters  clear. 

PSALM     CXV. 

NOT  unto  us,  but  glory  give, 
O  Lord,  to  Thy  dishonored  Name  ! 
Thy  truth  and  mercy  vindicate, 
And  impious  rulers  put  to  shame. 
2  Why  should  the  taunting  nations  say  : 

"Where  's  now  their  God,  where  is  He,  pray?" 


CXV  THE  PSALMS.  233 

3  Our  God  's  in  heaven,  He  reigns  supreme, 

And  whatsoe'er  He  pleased  has  done  : 

4  Their  gold  and  silver  idols,  made 

By  human  hands,  have  functions  none — 

5  Mouth,  eyes,  ears,  noses,  hands  and  feet, 

6  That  cannot  move,  perceive,  nor  eat. 

7  They  make  no  sound,  poor  senseless  things  : 

8  Like  them  shall  be  those  who  them  made  ; 
And  every  one  who  trusts  in  them — 

Blockish,  incapable  of  aid  : 

9  Trust,  Israel !  and  keep  the  field — 
Jehovah  is  thy  Help  and  Shield. 

10  O  house  of  Aaron,  in  Him  trust  : 

11  All  who  Him  fear  in  Him  confide  ; 
It  matters  not  what  threatens,  while 

Omnipotence  is  on  your  side. 
Be  not  dismayed,  refuse  to  yield, 
Jehovah  is  your  Help  and  Shield. 

12  Jehovah  has  remembered  us  ; 

He  will  the  house  of  Israel  bless  : 
Will  bless  the  house  of  Aaron  ;  crown 

13  Those  fearing  Him  with  happiness, 
Both  small  and  great  ;  and  He  will  add 
To  you,  diminished  now  and  sad. 

15   Ve  of  Jehovah  blessed  are — 

Creator  of  the  earth  and  heaven — 


234  THE  PSALMS.  CXVI 

16  The  heavens  are  for  Himself  ;  the  earth 

He  to  the  sons  of  men  has  given. 

17  The  dead  praise  not,  their  lips  are  dumb, 

18  But  we  '11  Him  bless  all  time  to  come. 

Hallelujah  ! 

PSALM     CXVI. 

I  LOVE  the  Lord,  because  to  me, 
He  audience  deigned  to  give  ; 

2  Inclined  His  ear,  I  '11  on  Him  call, 

And  bless  Him  while  I  live. 

3  The  cords  of  death  encompassed  me, 

The  pains  of  death  gat  hold  ; 
I  trouble  and  deep  sorrow  found, 
And  terrors  manifold. 

4  Then  called  I  on  Jehovah's  Name  : 

"  Deliver,  Lord,  and  save  !  " 

5  And  He,  who  is  most  pitiful, 

Me  kind  deliverance  gave. 

6  Preserver  of  the  simple,  when 

I  was  brought  very  low, 
He  helped  me,  and  He  raised  me  up, 
And  did  new  life  bestow. 

7  Return,  my  soul,  unto  Thy  rest  ; 

Be  thankful  for  thy  breath  ! 

8  The  Lord  has  with  me  kindly  dealt, 

And  rescued  me  from  death  : 


CX VI  THE  PSALMS.  235 

Delivered  has  mine  eyes  from  tears, 
My  feet  from  falling  ;  so 
9   I  in  the  land  of  living  men 
Before  the  Lord  will  go. 

10  My  faith  enabled  me  to  speak, 
I  turned  to  God  for  aid  ; 
I  was  afflicted  greatly,  but 
To  trust  man  was  afraid. 

n   I  in  my  haste  and  terror  said  : 
"  All  men  are  liars  ;  I 
Will  put  my  trust  in  none  of  them, 
But  on  the  Lord  rely." 

12  What  shall  I  render  to  the  Lord, 

From  whom  salvation  came  ? 

13  I  will  the  cup  of  blessing  take 

And  call  upon  His  Name  ; 

14  Will  to  Jehovah  pay  my  vows 

For  His  new  gift  of  breath  — 

15  Most  dear  His  saints  are  in  His  eyes, 

And  precious  is  their  death. 

16  I  am  Thy  servant,  am  the  son 

Of  Thy  handmaiden,  Lord  ! 
My  fetters  Thou  hast  loosed,  and  dost 
True  freedom  me  afford. 


236  THE  PSALMS.  CXVIII 

17  I  '11  in  Thy  Courts  thank-offerings  bring, 

And  on  Thy  Name  will  call ; 

18  Among  Thy  people  pay  my  vows, 

In  presence  of  them  all. 

Hallelujah  ! 

PSALM     CXVII. 

0    PRAISE  the  Lord,  His  name  extol, 
O  all  ye  nations  !  all  ye  lands  ! 
2   For  great  His  mercy  is  toward  all  ; 
His  truth  unchanged  forever  stands. 

Hallelujah  ! 
No.  2. 

O  praise  the  Lord,  who  reigns  above  ! 
Ye  nations,  your  allegiance  own  ! 
2   Great  is  His  mercy  and  His  love  ; 
His  truth  's  eternal  as  His  throne. 

Hallelujah  ! 
No.  3. 

Ye  nations,  praise  the  Lord  ! 

Before  His  footstool  bend  ! 
Great  is  His  mercy,  sure  His  word, 

His  Kingdom  without  end. 

Hallelujah  I 

PSALM     CXVIII. 

O   THANK  the  Lord,  for  He  is  good- 
Let  Israel,  let  Aaron  say  ; 
4  And  all  who  fear  Him,  too,  declare, 
His  loving-kindness  is  for  aye. 


CXVIII  THE  PSALMS.  237 

5  I  called  on  Him  in  my  distress, 

And  He  enlarged  and  set  me  free. 

6  Since  He  is  on  my  side,  I  will 

7  Not  fear  what  man  can  do  to  me. 

8  It  's  better  far  to  trust  in  Him, 

9  Than  help  of  princes  to  enjoy  ; 

10  All  nations  compass  me  about, 

I  in  His  Name  will  them  destroy. 

11  They  compass  me  about  like  bees, 

12  And  use  their  stings  to  me  annoy  ; 
Quenched  are  they  like  the  fire  of  thorns — 

I  in  His  Name  will  them  destroy. 

13  They  thrust  at  me  that  I  might  fall  ; 

Jehovah  hastened  to  my  aid — 

14  Jehovah  is  my  strength  and  song, 

And  He  is  my  salvation  made. 

15  The  voice  of  joy  and  triumph  sounds 

In  all  the  dwellings  of  the  just  ; 

16  Jehovah  mightily  has  wrought, 

And  lifted  Israel  from  the  dust. 

17  I  shall  not  die,  but  live  ;  and  will 

Recount  His  works  while  I  have  breath  : 
18   Though  he  has  sorely  chastened  me, 
He  has  not  given  o'er  to  death. 


238  THE  PSALMS.  CXVIII 

19  Open  the  gates  of  righteousness, 

20  And  I  will  enter  and  give  thanks  ; 

21  The  righteous  shall  march  through,  and  praise 

Ascend  from  their  exulting  ranks. 

22  The  stone  the  builders  did  reject, 

And  in  their  ignorance  despise, 
Head  of  the  corner  He  has  made — 

23  A  thing  most  wondrous  in  our  eyes. 

24  This  is  the  day  the  Lord  has  made  ; 

We  '11  triumph  and  rejoice  therein  ! 

25  Save  now,  Jehovah,  1  beseech  ; 

Let  new  prosperity  begin. 

26  Blessed  be  he,  the  coming  one, 

That  enters  in  Jehovah's  Name  ! 
We  from  Jehovah's  House  you  bless, 
From  whom  the  great  deliverance  came 

27  The  Lord  is  God,  He  gives  us  light — 

The  victim  to  the  altar  bind  ! 

28  Thou  art  my  God,  I  will  Thee  thank, 

Will  Thee  extol  with  heart  and  mind. 

29  Give  thanks  to  God,  for  He  is  good, 

His  mercy  is  for  evermore  ; 
Exhaustless  is  it  as  the  sea, 
A  sea  unbounded  by  a  shore. 


CXIX  THE  PSALMS.  239 

PSALM     CXIX.* 

ALEPH. 

BLEST  are  the  perfect  in  the  way, 
Who  never  from  God's  law  depart  : 

2  Blest  who  His  testimonies  keep, 

And  seek  the  Lord  with  all  their  heart. 

3  Yea,  no  unrighteousness  they  do  ; 

Walk  in  His  ways  with  careful  feet  ; 

4  They  keep  the  precepts  He  enjoins, 

And  find  their  strict  observance  sweet. 

5  O  that  my  ways  directed  were 

To  keep  Thy  statutes,  void  of  blame  ; 

6  Then  when  to  all  of  Thy  commands 

I  have  respect,  I  '11  feel  no  shame. 

*The  119th  Psalm  is  wholly  occupied  with  the  praises  of  God's  Word,  under 
the  various  names  of  Law,  Commandments,  Precepts,  Testimonies,  Judgments, 
Statutes,  Ways,  and  the  like,  of  which  at  least  one  is  expressly  mentioned  in 
every  verse  with  the  single  exception  of  verse  122.  In  the  metrical  version  here 
given,  the  particular  name  employed  has  been  put  into  Italics  to  mark  it  rather 
than  emphasize  it.  The  Psalm  is  divided  into  Twenty-two  Parts  or  Stanzas,  cor- 
responding to  the  twenty-two  letters  of  the  Hebrew  Alphabet— Aleph,  Beth, 
Gimel,  etc. — each  Stanza  being  composed  of  eight  verses,  couplets,  or  two-lined 
parallelisms,  the  first  line  of  each  parallelism  beginning  with  the  initial  letter  of 
the  Stanza.  Its  aphoristic  character  fits  it  for  pious  meditation  rather  than  for 
continuous  perusal. 

Since  to  love  God  is  to  love  every  thing  that  proceeds  from  Him— every  intima- 
tion of  His  will,  every  spoken  word— this  explains  the  Psalmist's  attitude  towards 
the  Divine  Law  whose  praises  are  here  celebrated.  An  object  of  passionate  re- 
gard, we  no  longer  wonder  that  he  sets  the  Decalogue  to  music,  and  here  as 
elsewhere  indulges  in  frequent  ecstatic  outbursts,  such  as  "  O  how  I  love  Thy 
Law  !"  "  It  is  more  precious  to  me  than  gold  and  silver,"  "It  is  sweeter  to  me 
than  honey  and  the  honey  comb."    Truly, 

"  Never  praise  of  love  or  wine, 
Panted  forth  a  flood 
Of  rapture  so  divine." 


240  THE  PSALMS.  CXIX 

7  With  upright  heart  I  will  Thee  praise, 

When  I  Thy  righteous  judgments  learn  ; 

8  I  all  Thy  statutes  will  observe — 

Forsake  me  not,  nor  from  me  turn. 

BETH. 

9  How  shall  a  young  man  cleanse  his  way  ? 

By  due  attention  to  Thy  word. 
io  With  my  whole  heart  I  have  Thee  sought, 
From  Thy  commandments  have  not  erred. 

ii   I  have  Thy  word  hid  in  my  heart, 

That  I  against  Thee  might  not  sin. 

12  Thy  statutes,  blessed  Lord,  me  teach, 

And  firmly  stablish  me  therein. 

13  I  have  recounted  with  my  lips 

The  judgments  of  Thy  mouth  entire  ; 

14  Thy  testimonies  making  glad, 

More  than  all  riches  I  desire. 

15  I  '11  in  Thy  precepts  meditate, 

Thy  ways  by  me  shall  be  preferred  ; 

16  I  in  Thy  statutes  will  delight, 

And  I  will  not  forget  Thy  word. 

GIMEL. 

17  Be  to  Thy  servant  kind  that  I 

May  live,  and  I  Thy  word  will  keep  ; 

18  Open  mine  eyes,  that  in  Thy  law 

I  may  see  wondrous  things  and  deep. 


CXIX  THE  FSALMS.  24 1 

19  I  am  a  stranger  in  the  earth, 

Hide  Thy  commandments  not  from  me  ; 

20  My  soul  breaks  from  the  longing  it 

Has  toward  Thy  judgments  ceaselessly. 

21  Thou  hast  rebuked  the  proud,  accursed. 

Who  have  from  Thy  commandments  swerved. 

22  Roll  off  reproach  from  me,  for  I 

Thy  testimonies  have  observed. 

23  Princes  against  me  sit  and  talk — 

Thy  servant  on  Thy  statutes  pores  ; 

24  Thy  testimonies  also  are 

My  chief  delight  and  counsellors. 

DALETH. 

25  My  soul  cleaves  to  the  dust  :  Thou  me 

Quicken  according  to  Thy  word. 

26  I  told  my  ways,  Thou  heardest  me, 

Teach  me  Thy  statutes,  gracious  Lord  ! 

27  Make  me  Thy  precepts  understand, 

I  '11  on  Thy  wonders  meditate. 

28  My  soul  sinks  down  from  heaviness, 

Make  Thy  word  strong  to  lift  the  weight. 

29  Cause  me  from  falsehood  to  depart, 

And  grant  me  graciously  Thy  law. 

30  The  way  of  truth  I  've  made  my  choice, 

Thy  judgments,  I  have  held  in  awe. 
II 


242  THE  PSALMS.  CX1X 

31  I  to  Thy  testimonies  cleave, 

Preserve  me  clear  from  shameful  charge. 

32  I  '11  run  the  way  of  Thy  commands, 

Then  when  Thou  shalt  my  heart  enlarge. 

HE. 

33  Teach  me  Thy  statutes,  and  I  '11  keep 

Them  to  the  end  in  every  part. 

34  Give  understanding,  and  I  will 

Observe  Thy  law  with  my  whole  heart. 

35  Make  me  in  Thy  commandments  tread, 

For  I  therein  great  joy  obtain. 

36  Me  to  Thy  testimonies  bend, 

And  not  to  covetousness  and  gain. 

37  Turn  off  mine  eyes  from  vanity, 

Me  quicken  in  Thy  ways,  and  cheer ; 

38  Make  to  Thy  servant  good  Thy  word, 

Who  is  devoted  to  Thy  fear. 

39  Turn  the  reproach  away  I  dread, 

For  good  Thy  judgments  are  and  true  ; 

40  Behold,  I  for  Thy  precepts  long, 

Me  in  Thy  righteousness  renew. 

VAU. 

41  And  let  Thy  mercies  come  to  me 

According  to  Thy  promise,  Lord  ! 

42  Then  I  '11  him  answer  that  reviles, 

For  I  have  trusted  in  Thy  word. 


CXIX  THE  PSALMS.  243 

43  Take  not  the  word  of  truth  from  me, 

Seeing  I  for  Thy  judgments  wait. 

44  So  I  Thy  law  for  aye  will  keep, 

By  it  my  conduct  regulate. 

45  And  I  will  walk  at  liberty, 

For  I  to  know  Thy  precepts  seek  : 

46  And  of  Thy  testimonies  pure 

I  unashamed  'fore  kings  will  speak. 

47  In  Thy  commandments  which  I  love 

I  '11  take  delight  ;  and  will  as  well 

48  To  them  lift  up  my  hands  and  heart, 

And  on  Thy  statutes  fondly  dwell. 

ZAIN. 

49  Thy  word  of  promise  call  to  mind, 

In  which  Thou  hast  caused  me  to  hope. 

50  This  is  my  comfort  in  my  grief, 

Thy  quickening  word  new  doors  can  ope. 

51  The  proud  ones  have  laughed  me  to  scorn, 

Yet  from  Thy  law  I  've  not  declined. 

52  Thy  judgments  I  of  old  recalled, 

And  they  consoled  my  troubled  mind. 

53  Horror  me  seized,  beholding  men 

Forsake  Thy  law,  its  sanctions  spurn. 

54  Thy  statutes  still  have  been  my  songs, 

Here  in  the  house  of  my  sojourn. 


244  THE  PSALMS.  GXIX 

55  Thy  Name  I  've  thought  on  in  the  night, 

And  sought  for  strength  to  keep  Thy  law, 

56  I  have  Thy  precepts  kept,  and  so 

Knowledge  from  sweet  experience  draw. 

CHETH. 

57  Thou  art  my  portion,  Lord,  to  keep 

Thy  words  will  I  devote  my  mind  ; 

58  I  sought  Thy  help  with  my  whole  heart, 

According  to  Thy  word  be  kind  ! 

59  I  thought  upon  my  ways,  my  feet 

I  to  Thy  testimonies  turned. 

60  I  hastened  Thy  commands  to  keep, 

With  holy  zeal  my  bosom  burned. 

61  Cords  of  the  wicked  wrapped  me  round, 

But  on  Thy  law  meanwhile  I  thought  ; 

62  I  '11  rise  at  midnight  to  give  thanks 

Because  of  righteous  judgments  wrought. 

63  All  those  who  fear  Thee  and  who  keep 

Thy  precepts,  my  companions  be. 

64  The  earth  is  of  Thy  mercies  full, 

Make  plain  Thy  statutes,  Lord,  to  me. 

TETH. 

65  Thou  with  Thy  servant  has  dealt  well, 

According  to  Thy  word  relieved. 

66  Me  knowledge  and  good  judgment  teach, 

For  Thy  commandments  I  've  believed. 


CX IX  THE  PSALMS.  245 

67   Before  I  smitten  was,  I  strayed, 

But  now  Thy  word  I  keep  fast  hold. 

63   Thou  art  most  good  and  doest  good, 
Thy  statutes  teach  me  and  unfold. 

69  The  proud  'gainst  me  have  forged  a  lie, 

But  to  Thy  precepts  I  '11  be  true. 

70  Their  heart  is  fat  and  gross,  but  I 

Will  with  delight  Thy  law  pursue. 

71  'T  is  for  my  good  I  've  been  chastised, 

That  I  might  learn  Thy  statutes  old  : 

72  Law  of  Thy  mouth  is  better  than 

Thousands  of  silver  and  of  gold. 

JOD. 

73  Thy  hands  they  made  and  fashioned  me, 

Make  me  Thy  pure  commandments  learn  : 

74  All  they  that  fear  Thee  will  rejoice 

That  to  Thy  word  for  hope  I  turn. 

75  I  know  Thy  judgments,  Lord,  are  right, 

In  faithfulness  Thou  smotest  me. 

76  According  to  Thy  word,  O  let 

Thy  mercy  for  my  comfort  be. 

77  Be  merciful  that  I  may  live, 

For  my  delight  is  in  Thy  law. 

78  Shame  those  who  wronged  me  without  cause, 

I  '11  on  Thy  precepts  muse  with  awe. 


246  THE  PSALMS.  CXIX 

79  Let  them  that  fear  Thee,  turn  to  me, 

Those  that  Thy  testimonies  know  : 

80  Make  my  heart  in  Thy  statutes  sound, 

Lest  I  meet  shameful  overthrow. 

CAPH. 

81  My  soul  for  Thy  salvation  faints, 

I  for  Thy  word  with  longing  wait  : 

82  Mine  eyes  fail  for  Thy  promise,  made 

To  comfort  the  disconsolate. 

83  I  'm  like  a  bottle  in  the  smoke, 

Yet  I  Thy  statutes  keep  in  view  : 

84  When  wilt  Thou  judgment  execute 

On  them  who  hotly  me  pursue  ? 

85  The  proud  ones  have  digged  pits  for  me, 

Whose  lives  are  by  Thy  law  not  swayed  : 

86  All  Thy  commandments  faithful  are, 

Against  my  persecutors,  aid. 

87  They  nigh  consumed  me  on  the  earth, 

I  from  Thy  precepts  did  not  swerve  : 

88  After  Thy  mercy  quicken  me, 

Thy  testimonies  I  '11  observe. 

LAMED. 

89  Thy  word  in  heaven  forever  stands, 

From  age  to  age  Thy  faithfulness  : 

90  As  earth  abides  which  Thou  didst  found, 

Thy  truth  is  permanent  no  less  ; 


CXIX  THE  PSALMS.  247 

91  By  Thy  decrees  they  stand  this  day, 

For  all  Thy  servants  are,  I  know  ; 

92  Had  not  Thy  law  been  my  delight, 

I  should  have  perished  long  ago. 

93  Thy  precepts  I  will  ne'er  forget  ; 

For  with  them  Thou  hast  quickened  me. 

94  Lord,  I  am  Thine,  me  save,  for  I 

Have  sought  Thy  precepts  diligently. 

95  The  wicked  wait  to  me  destroy  ; 

But  I  Thy  testimonies  laud  : 

96  An  end  I  've  to  perfection  seen, 

For  Thy  C07nmandment  's  very  broad. 

MEM. 

97  O  how  I  love  Thy  law  ;  it  is 

My  meditation  all  the  day. 

98  Above  my  foes  I  am  made  wise 

For  Thy  commandments  with  me  stay. 

99  I  'm  wiser  than  my  teachers,  for 

Thy  testimonies  are  my  school  ; 

100  Am  wiser  than  the  ancients,  for 

Thy  precepts  all  my  conduct  rule. 

101  My  feet  have  shunned  each  evil  way, 

That  in  Thy  word  I  might  abide  : 

102  I  have  not  from  Thy  judgments  strayed, 

For  Thou  Thyself  hast  been  my  guide. 


248  THE  PSALMS.  CXIX 

103  How  sweet  Thy  words  are  to  my  taste, 

Than  honey  to  my  mouth  more  sweet. 

104  Instructed  by  Thy  precepts,  far 

From  each  false  way  I  turn  my  feet. 

NUN. 

105  Thy  word's  a  lantern  to  my  feet, 

A  light  to  make  my  pathway  clear. 

106  I  've  sworn,  and  will  perform  my  oath, 

I  '11  hold  Thy  righteous  judgments  dear. 

107  I  am  afflicted  very  much, 

According  to  Thy  word,  restore  : 

108  Accept  my  free-will  offerings,  Lord, 

Teach  me  Thy  judgments  to  adore. 

109  My  soul  is  ever  in  my  hand, 

Yet  have  I  not  thy  law  forgot : 
no  The  wicked  laid  a  snare  for  me, 

Yet  from  Thy  precepts  strayed  I  not. 

in   Because  Thy  testimonies  are 

My  heart's  rejoicing,  I  them  take 

112  As  my  eternal  heritage, 

And  I  '11  Thy  statutes  ne'er  forsake. 

SAMECH. 

113  Those  of  a  double  mind  I  hate, 

But  love  Thy  law  and  do  not  feign. 

114  Thou  art  my  Hiding-Place  and  Shield, 

I  from  Thy  word  assurance  gain. 


CXIX  7 HE  PSALMS,  249 

115  Ye  evil-doers,  hence  depart ! 

My  God's  commands  I  '11  keep  unblamed. 

116  According  to  Thy  word  uphold, 

That  I  may  live,  and  not  be  shamed. 

117  Hold  Thou  me  up,  and  I'll  be  safe, 

I  '11  on  Thy  statutes  fix  my  eye  : 

118  Who  err  from  these  Thou  'It  set  at  naught, 

For  their  deceit  is  their  own  lie. 

119  The  wicked  purgest  Thou  like  dross, 

Thy  testimonies  I  hold  dear. 

120  Trembles  my  flesh  for  dread  of  Thee, 

And  I  Thy  judgments  greatly  fear. 

AIN. 

121  Justice  and  judgment  I  have  done, 

Me  not  to  my  oppressors  leave. 

122  Be  surety,  Lord,  for  good  to  me, 

Let  not  the  proud  me  crush  and  grieve. 

123  Mine  eyes  for  Thy  salvation  fail, 

Waiting  Thy  words  s  fulfillment  long. 

124  Deal  kindly  with  Thy  servant,  me 

Thy  statutes  teach,  to  make  me  strong. 

125  I  am  Thy  servant,  make  me  wise, 

May  I  Thy  testimonies  know. 

126  'T  is  time,  Lord,  Thou  should'st  work,  when  men 

Thy  law  make  void  and  overthrow. 


250  THE  PSALMS,  CXIX 

127  I,  therefore,  Thy  co??imandments  love, 

Above  fine  gold  them  estimate  ; 

128  Thy  precepts  I  esteem  all  right, 

And  every  lying  way  I  hate. 

PE. 

129  Wondrous  Thy  testimonies  are  ; 

In  them  my  soul  I  exercise. 

130  The  entrance  of  Thy  word  gives  light, 

And  serves  to  make  the  simple  wise. 

131  I  stretched  my  mouth  and  panted — for 

I  longed  for  Thy  commandments  much. 

132  Turn  Thou  to  me  for  I  Thee  love, 

And  do  as  Thou  art  wont  to  such. 

133  Order  my  footsteps  in  Thy  zvord ; 

Let  no  iniquity  have  sway  : 

134  From  man's  oppression  me  redeem, 

So  I  Thy  precepts  will  obey. 

135  Make  Thou  Thy  Face  on  me  to  shine, 

Thy  statutes  teach,  by  them  me  draw. 

136  Rivers  of  tears  run  down  mine  eyes, 

Because  men  do  not  keep  Thy  taw. 

TZADDI. 

137  Righteous  and  true,  O  Lord,  Thou  art, 

Upright  Thy  judgments  are,  and  just. 

138  Thy  testimonies  faithful  are, 

On  us  enjoined  that  we  may  trust. 


CXIX  THE  PSALMS,  2$ 

139  My  zeal  for  Thee  has  me  consumed, 

Because  my  foes  Thy  words  forget. 

140  Thy  word  is  tried  and  very  pure, 

Therefore  my  heart  is  on  it  set. 

141  Though  I  am  little  and  despised, 

Thy  precepts  I  have  loved  from  youth. 

142  Eternal  is  Thy  righteousness, 

Thy  law  is  everlasting  truth. 

143  Trouble  and  anguish  have  me  seized, 

Yet  Thy  commandments  gladness  give  : 

144  Right  are  Thy  testimonies,  make 

Me  understand  and  I  shall  live. 

KOPH. 

145  With  my  whole  heart  I  Thee  invoke, 

Hear  me  and  I  '11  Thy  statutes  keep  ; 

146  Save,  and  Thy  testimonies,  I 

Will  cherish  with  affection  deep. 

147  I  cry  for  help  at  early  dawn, 

And  for  Thy  word  devoutly  wait  : 

148  I  shorten  the  night  watches  that 

I  in  Thy  word  may  meditate. 

149  According  to  Thy  mercy  hear, 

Just  to  Thy  judgments,  save  alive  ! 

150  For  they  are  near,  who,  far  from  law, 

Ingenious  wickedness  contrive. 


252  THE  PSALMS.  CXIX 

151  Thou  too  art  near,  O  Lord,  and  Thy 

Commandments  are  immortal  truth  : 

152  I  have  Thy  testimonies  known 

To  be  eternal  from  my  youth. 

RESH. 

153  See  my  affliction,  and  me  save  ; 

Naught  from  my  breast  Thy  law  shall  drive, 

154  Plead  Thou  my  cause,  and  me  redeem, 

According  to  Thy  word,  revive. 

155  Salvation  's  from  the  wicked  far  ; 

They  've  for  Thy  statutes  no  regard. 

156  Great  are  Thy  mercies,  quicken  me 

According  to  Thy  judgments,  Lord  ! 

157  My  foes  are  many,  yet  do  I 

Not  from  Thy  testimonies  swerve. 
15S   I  saw  the  faithless,  and  was  grieved, 

That  they  did  not  Thy  word  observe. 

159  Behold,  how  I  Thy  precepts  love, 

After  Thy  mercy  quicken  me. 

160  Thy  wordis  from  creation   true, 

Thy  judgments  span  eternity. 

SCHIN. 

161  Princes  pursue  me  without  cause, 

Awe  of  Thy  word  my  heart  appals  : 

162  And  yet  I  at  Thy  word  rejoice 

As  one  to  whom  great  booty  falls. 


CXIX  THE  PSALMS.  253 

163  Falsehood  I  hate  and  I  abhor, 

But  love  Thy  law  with  all  my  might. 

164  Seven  times  a  day  do  I  Thee  praise 

Because  Thy  judgments  are  upright. 

165  Great  peace  have  they  who  love  Thy  law, 

Occasion  have  of  stumbling  none. 

166  I  have  for  Thy  salvation  hoped, 

And  Thy  commandments  I  have  done. 

167  I  have  Thy  testimonies  kept, 

And  them  I  love  exceedingly, 

168  I  all  Thy  precepts  have  observed, 

For  all  my  ways  are  known  to  Thee. 

TAU. 

169  Let  my  cry  come  before  Thee,  Lord  ! 

True  to  Thy  word  me  wisdom  give  : 

170  Hear  me,  according  to  Thy  word, 

Deliver  me  that  I  may  live. 

171  My  lips  shall  praise  Thee,  for  Thou  wilt 

With  knowledge  of  Thy  statutes  bless, 

172  My  tongue  shall  celebrate  Thy  word, 

For  Thy  commands  are  righteousness. 

173  Be  ready  with  Thy  hand  to  help, 

For  I  've  Thy  precepts  made  my  choice, 

174  I  've  longed  for  Thy  salvation,  Lord  ! 

I  greatly  in  Thy  law  rejoice. 


254  THE  PSALMS.  CXXI 

175  Let  my  soul  live  to  praise  Thee,  let 

Thy  judgments  help  me  ;  and  O,  when 

176  I  go  astray  like  a  lost  sheep, 

Bring  Thou  Thy  servant  back  again. 

PSALM     CXX. 

I  PRAYED  the  Lord  in  my  distress, 
And  He  deferred  not  answer  long  : 

2  "  O  Lord  !  "  I  cried,  "  deliver  me 

From  lying  lips  and  guileful  tongue." 

3  What  shall  He  give  or  do  to  thee, 

O  tongue  of  infinite  deceit  ? 

4  Sharp  arrows  of  the  mighty,  give  ! 

With  burning  coals  of  fiercest  heat. 

5  Woe  's  me  that  I  in  Mesech  dwell, 

Among  the  tents  of  Kedar  stay — 
Men  of  contention  and  of  strife, 
Inclined  to  violence  alway. 

6  I  've  had  my  dwelling  long  with  him, 

Who  hated  peace,  and  drove  it  far  : 

7  I  am  an  advocate  of  peace, 

But  when  I  speak,  they  are  for  war. 


U 


PSALM     CXXI. 

P  to  the  Hills  I  lift  mine  eyes. 

Whence  comes  my  help?     My  help  proceeds 
From  Him  who  made  the  earth  and  skies, 
Who  at  His  board  creation  feeds. 


CXXII  THE  PSALMS.  255 

3  He  will  not  let  Thy  foot  be  moved  ; 

He  will  not  slumber  who  thee  keeps  ; 

4  He,  who  o'er  Israel  beloved 

Still  watches,  slumbers  not  nor  sleeps. 

5  The  Lord  thy  Keeper  is,  thy  Shield  ; 

6  The  sun  by  day  shall  not  thee  smite, 
Screened  by  His  hand — innoxious  made, 

The  moon  shall  not  thee  harm  by  night. 

7  The  Lord,  who  has  thy  safety  been, 

Shall  shield  from  evil,  and  watch  o'er 

8  Thy  going-  out  and  coming  in 

From  henceforth  and  forevermore. 


PSALM     CXXII. 

01  WAS  glad  then,  when  they  said 
'*  Let  us  together  go, 
A  festal  throng,  up  to  God's  House — 
His  Dwelling  here  below." 

2  Our  feet  are  standing  in  Thy  gates, 

3  Jerusalem,  that  art 
Compactly  as  a  city  built, 

And  fair  in  every  part. 

4  Thither  the  tribes  go  up  ;  there  they 

Before  the  Lord  appear, 
(A  law  ordained  for  Israel) 
At  stated  times  each  year, 


256  THE  PSALMS.  CXXIII 

To  tell  His  mercies,  and  give  thanks 
In  loud  and  joyful  tones  ; 

5  For  there  are  seats  for  judgment  set — 

The  house  of  David's  thrones. 

6  Pray  for  her  peace,  whose  name  is  peace — 

Thine,  fair  Jerusalem  ! 
All  they  shall  prosper  who  thee  love, 
And  peace  shall  fall  on  them. 

7  Let  peace  within  thy  ramparts  be, 

Prosperity  be  found 
Within  thy  palaces  and  homes, 
And  everywhere  abound. 

8  I  '11  for  my  friends'  and  brethren's  sake, 

Say,  Peace  within  thee  be  ! 

9  And  for  the  sake  of  the  Lord's  House 

Seek  thy  prosperity. 

PSALM     CXXIII. 

I  UNTO  Thee  do  lift  my  eyes, 
O  Thou  Who  art  enthroned  in  heaven  ! 

2  As  servants  to  their  masters  look, 

So  I  to  Thee,  till  mercy  's  given. 

3  Have  mercy  on  us,  Lord,  for  we 

Are  greatly  sated  with  disdain — 

4  Sated  with  scorn  of  our  proud  foes, 

Who  scoff  at  us  with  lips  profane. 


CXXV  THE  PSALMS.  257 


PSALM     CXXIV. 

IF  GOD  had  not  been  on  our  side, 
Let  grateful  Israel  now  say, 

2  If  God  had  not  been  on  our  side, 

So  weak  were  we,  so  strong  were  they, 
When  men  rose  up  'gainst  us  to  strive, 

3  They  then  had  swallowed  us  alive. 

4  Deep  waters  then  had  us  o'erwhelmed, 

And  drowning  flood  gone  o'er  our  soul, 

5  Proud  waters  o'er  our  soul  had  gone, 

And  we  had  perished  as  a  whole. 

6  Thrice  blessed  be  His  Name  for  aye, 
Who  gave  us  not  to  them  a  prey. 

7  Our  soul  has  like  a  bird  escaped 

Out  of  the  lowler's  fatal  snare — 
The  snare  is  broke,  and  we  've  escaped, 
Thanks  to  the  Lord's  delivering  care  ; 

8  He  is  our  Helper,  He  who  made 

The  heavens,  and  earth's  foundations  laid. 


PSALM     CXXV. 

A     LL  who  in  Jehovah  trust, 
ZTjl_     They  shall  as  Mount  Zion  be, 
Which,  immovable,  abides, 
Fixed  to  all  eternity. 


258  THE  PSALMS.  CXXVI 

2  As  the  firm-set  mountains  are 

Round  about  Jerusalem  ; 
So  the  Lord  is  evermore 

Round  His  people,  guarding  them. 

3  For  the  rod  of  wickedness 

Shall  not  on  the  righteous  rest, 
Lest  to  sin  they  tempted  be, 

By  perplexing  doubts  oppressed. 

4  To  the  good,  O  Lord,  do  good  : 

But  all  such  as  turn  aside 
Shall  as  evil-doers  fare. 
Peace  on  Israel  abide  ! 


PSALM     CXXVI. 

WHEN  captive  Zion  God  brought  back, 
We  were  as  those  that  dreamed  : 
We  scarce  could  think  it  real,  so 
Incredible  it  seemed. 

2  Then  was  our  mouth  with  laughter  filled, 
Our  tongue  with  singing  rapture  thrilled. 

The  wondering  nations  said,  "  The  Lord 
For  them  great  things  has  done  !  " 

3  The  Lord  has  done  great  things  for  us, 

Our  glad  return  begun  : 

4  Complete  it,  Lord,  as  after  drouth 

Come  back  the  dried  streams  of  the  south. 


CXXV1I  THE  PSALMS.  259 

5  The  mourning  souls  that  sow  in  tears, 

Shall  yet  in  gladness  reap  : 

6  Though  he  that  goes  forth  bearing  seed 

Upon  his  way  may  weep, 
He  shall  with  singing  come  again, 
Bringing  his  sheaves  in  loaded  wain. 


PSALM     CXXVII. 

EXCEPT  the  Lord  shall  build  the  House, 
Man's  labor  is  but  fruitless  pain  ; 
Except  the  Lord  the  City  keep, 

The  human  watchman  wakes  in  vain. 


2  Vainly  you  eat  the  bread  of  toil, 

Rise  early  and  late  vigils  keep  ; 
Seeing  to  His  beloved  God 

Gives  time  for  needful  rest  and  sleep. 

3  Lo,  children  are  a  heritage, 

Which  parents  from  the  Lord  acquire — 

4  As  arrows  in  a  warrior's  hand, 

Are  sons  of  youth  to  aged  sire. 

5  O  happy  is  the  man,  who  has 

His  quiver  full,  to  him  defend  : 
They  '11  not  be  shamed,  when  in  the  gate 
With  adversaries  they  contend. 


260  THE  PSALMS.  CXXIX 


H 


PSALM     CXXVIII. 

APPY  the  man  who  fears  the  Lord, 
That  walks  in  His  appointed  ways  ! 

2  Eating  the  labor  of  thy  hands, 

Thou  shalt  be  prospered  all  thy  days. 

3  Thy  wife  shall  be  a  fruitful  vine 

Within  thy  house  :  thy  children  be, 
Like  olive  plants  around  thy  board, 
An  ornament  and  joy  to  thee. 

4  Behold  all  those  shall  thus  be  blest, 

Who  fear  the  Lord  ;  the  Lord  shall  them 
Bless  out  of  Zion,  they  shall  see 
The  welfare  of  Jerusalem. 

PSALM      CXXIX. 

THEY  many  a  time,"  let  Israel  say, 
''From  my  youth  up  have  me  assailed  ; 

2  They  many  a  time  have  me  oppressed, 

But  have  against  me  not  prevailed." 

3  The  plowers  plowed  upon  my  back 

Long  furrows,  by  the  scourge  produced  ; 

4  The  righteous  Lord,  He  cut  the  trace,* 

And  from  the  galling  yoke  me  loosed. 

5  Let  all  that  Zion  hate  be  shamed 

And  backward  turned  ;  like  grass  chance-sown 

6  Upon  the  house-tops  which  springs  up 

And  withers  £re  't  is  fully  grown  ; 

"  Cord  (not  cords)  that  fastened  the  ox  to  the  plow."—/.  A.  Alexander. 


CXXXI  THE  PSALMS.  26 1 

7  Wherewith  who  reaps  fills  not  his  hand  ; 

Nor  he  who  binds  the  sheaves  his  breast  ; 

8  Neither  do  they,  which  go  by,  say, 

"Jehovah's  blessing  on  you  rest." 


o 


PSALM     CXXX. 

UT  of  the  depths  I  call  on  Thee, 
Hearken,  O  Lord,  unto  my  prayer  ; 
Let  me  not  unregarded  sink 
In  the  deep  waters  of  despair  ! 


3  If  Thou  iniquities  should'st  mark, 

Who  shall,  O  God,  from  guilt  be  cleared  ? 

4  Forgiveness  is  with  Thee  alone, 

To  the  intent  Thou  may'st  be  feared. 

5  I  wait,  my  soul  waits  for  the  Lord — 

By  hope  in  His  dear  Name  upborne — 

6  Waits  for  His  wished-for  coming,  more 
'  Than  weary  watchers  for  the  morn. 

7  Hope  in  the  Lord,  O  Israel  ! 

For  with  the  Lord  is  grace  supreme, 

8  And  plenteous  redemption — He 

Will  thee  from  all  thy  sins  redeem. 


N 


PSALM     CXXXI. 

OT  haughty  is  my  heart ; 
Not  lofty  are  mine  eyes  ; 
Myself,  in  matters  great  and  high, 
I  do  not  exercise. 


262  THE  PSALMS.  CXXXU 

2  I  cherish  humble  thoughts  ; 

I  've  hushed  my  soul  to  rest  ; 
As  a  weaned  child,  whose  cries  are  stilled, 
Leans  on  its  mother's  breast. 

3  Hope  thou,  O  Israel  ! 

In  the  Eternal  One, 
From  this  time  forth  and  evermore, 
And  let  His  will  be  done  ! 

PSALM     CXXXU. 

EEMEMBER  David's  deep  concern, 
O  Lord,  for  Thy  neglected  Shrine  ; 

2  How  that  he  swore  he  would  postpone 

All  else  to  further  one  design. 

3  "  Surely,"  he  said,  "  I  will  not  come 

Into  the  tent  in  which  I  dwell, 
Ascend  the  couch  on  which  I  sleep — 

4  But  slumber  from  mine  eyes  dispel, 

5  "  Until  I  for  Jehovah  find 

A  Place,  and  Tabernacle  fit." 

6  We  heard  of  it  at  Ephratah, 

In  Kirjath-jearim  found  we  it. 

7  We  '11  in  His  Tabernacles  go, 

And  at  His  footstool  lowly  bend  ; 

8  Arise  into  Thy  Resting  Place  : 

Ark  of  Thy  Strength,  O  Lord,  ascend  ! 


L XXX 1 1  THE  PSALMS.  263 

9  Clothe  Thou  Thy  priests  with  righteousness, 
And  let  Thy  saints  for  gladness  sing ; 

10  For  David's  sake,  turn  not  away 

The  face  of  Thine  anointed  king. 

11  Jehovah  has  to  David  sworn — 

And  from  it  He  will  ne'er  turn  back  : 
"  Of  thine  own  offspring  there  shall  be 
To  sit  upon  thy  throne  no  lack. 

12  "  If  they  will  keep  My  covenant, 

My  testimony  that  I  teach, 
Their  sons  shall  sit  too  on  thy  throne, 
And  this  to  latest  times  shall  reach." 

13  So  honored  by  Jehovah's  choice, 

How  far  does  Zion  all  excel ! 

14  "  This  is,"  He  says,  "My  Resting  Place, 

And  here  forever  will  I  dwell  : 

15  "  I  will  abundantly  her  bless, 

Her  poor  with  bread  will  satisfy, 

16  Her  priests  will  with  salvation  clothe, 

Her  saints  with  shouts  shall  fill  the  sky  ; 

17  "I1  11  make  a  horn  for  David  bud, 

A  lamp  for  my  Anointed  trim  ; 

18  His  enemies  will  clothe  with  shame, 

And  flourish  shall  his  crown  on  him." 


264  TUB  PSALMS.  CXXX1V 


PSALM     CXXXIII. 

OW  good  and  pleasant  't  is 
For  brethren  to  agree — 
To  dwell  in  unity  of  love, 
From  strife  and  envy  free. 


H 


2  'T  is  like  the  precious  oil, 

Poured  out  on  Aaron's  head, 
That  flowing  down  on  beard  and  dress, 
A  grateful  fragrance  shed. 

3  'Tis  like  the  drops  of  dew 

Of  Hermon,  falling  bright 
On  Zion's  consecrated  Hill, 
The  jewels  of  the  night. 

For  there  Jehovah  doth 

Selectest  influence  pour  : 
He  there  His  blessing  doth  command, 

Ev'n  life  forevermore. 

PSALM    CXXXIV. 

LO,  we  you  greet !  Jehovah  bless, 
All  ye,  His  servants,  made  to  stand 
Here  in  Jehovah's  House  by  night, 

2  Raise  to  the  Holy  Place  your  hand 

3  ''And  bless  Jehovah  !  "     "Welcome  here, 

Ye  pilgrims  !  seeking  heavenly  aid  ; 
May  out  of  Zion  He  you  bless 

Who  heaven  and  earth  and  all  things  made. 


CXXXV  THE  PSALMS.  265 

PSALM     CXXXV. 

HALLELUJAH  !  Praise  ye  Jah  ; 
Ye,  His  servants,  standing  there 

2  In  the  courts  of  the  Lord's  House, 

His  Eternal  Name  declare  ! 

3  Praise  ye  Jah,  for  He  is  good  ; 

Music  make  to  His  dear  Name  ; 

4  Jacob  for  Himself  He  chose — 

His  electing  grace  proclaim. 

5  For  I  know  Jehovah  's  great, 

High  above  all  gods  ;  that  He 

6  Works  His  will  in  heaven  and  earth 

And  th'  abysses  of  the  sea  ; 

7  Causes  vapors  to  ascend  ; 

And  makes  lightnings  for  the  rain  ; 
From  His  store-house  brings  the  wind, 
Then  commands  it  back  again. 

8  He  all  Egypt's  first-born  smote, 

Both  of  man  and  beast,  and  sent 

9  Signs  and  wonders  in  her  midst 

To  make  Pharaoh  relent. 

10  He  great  nations  smote,  and  slew 

Mighty  kings  in  many  fights — 

11  Og  of  Bashan  ;  Sihon,  king 

Of  th'  opposing  Amorites. 
12 


266  THE  PSALMS.  CXXXV 

All  the  kings  of  Canaan  slew, 

Executing  righteous  doom  ; 
Drove  the  dwellers  from  the  Land, 

For  His  people  to  make  room. 

12  All  the  Land  to  Israel  gave, 

For  a  lasting  heritage  : 

13  Everlasting  is  Thy  Name, 

Handed  down  from  age  to  age. 

14  For  Thou  wilt  Thy  people  judge — 

For  Thy  servants'  sake,  repent, 
When  Thy  purpose  shall  be  served 
Of  paternal  chastisement. 

15  Idols  of  the  nations  are 

Gold  and  silver,  man-begot  ; 

16  Mouths  have  they,  but  have  not  speech  ; 

Eyes  have  they,  but  sight  have  not. 

17  They  have  ears,  but  do  not  hear  ; 

In  their  mouths  they  breath  have  none  ; 

18  They  that  made  shall  be  like  them, 

They  that  trust  in  them,  each  one. 

19  House  of  Israel,  bless  the  Lord  ! 

House  of  Aaron,  sound  His  fame  ! 

20  House  of  Levi,  render  praise  ! 

And  all  fearers  of  His  Name  ! 


CXXXVI  THE  FSALMS.  267 


P 


PSALM     CXXXVI. 

RAISE  the  Lord  for  He  is  good, 

O  ye  faithful  brotherhood  ! 
For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 


2  Lift  to  Him  your  hymns  of  laud, 
Who  of  gods  alone  is  God. 

For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 

3  Tune  Him  thanks  with  sounding  chords, 
Who  doth  reign  the  Lord  of  lords, 

For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 

4  Who  alone  great  wonders  doeth, 
And  creation  thence  ensueth. 

For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 

5  Who  by  wisdom  made  and  bent 
Overhead  the  firmament. 

For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 

6  Who  the  earth  on  nothing  hung, 
And  in  empty  space  it  flung. 

For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 


268  THE  PSALMS.  CXXXVI 

7  Who  when  darkness  did  entomb. 
Made  great  lights  to  chase  the  gloom — 

For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 

8  Made  the  sun  to  rule  the  day, 
And  the  joy  of  life  convey — 

For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 

9  Moon  and  stars  to  rule  the  night 
With  a  soft  and  mellow  light. 

For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 

io  Who  smote  Egypt's  eldest  born 
Making  the  oppressor  mourn  : 
For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 

n   Brought  out  Israel  free  from  harm 

12  With  strong  hand  and  outstretched  arm. 

For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 

13  Who  the  Red  Sea  cleft  in  two 

14  And  made  Israel  pass  through — 

For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 


CXXXVI  THE  PSALMS.  269 

15  But  pursuing  Pharaoh 

And  his  hosts  did  overthrow. 

For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 

16  Who  His  chosen  people  led 
Through  the  wilderness,  and  fed. 

For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 

17  Many  kings  did  smite  and  slay 

18  Great  and  famous  in  their  day  : 

For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 

19  Sihon — king  in  Heshbon  dwelling — 
Friendly  words  of  peace  repelling  ; 

For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 

20  Og  of  Argob,  land  of  stone, 
King  ol  mighty  bulk  and  bone  ; 

For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 

Wrested  from  the  Canaanite 

Other  kingdoms  in  sore  fight  ; 
For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 


270  THE  PSALMS.  CXXXVII 

21   These  to  Israel  did  deliver 
For  a  heritage  forever. 

For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 

23  Who  when  our  estate  was  low 
Help  remembered  to  bestow. 

For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 

24  From  our  enemies  hath  freed 
In  the  hour  of  bitter  need. 

For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 

25  Who  to  all  flesh  giveth  food 
And  abundance  of  all  good. 

For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 

26  Let  our  thanks  to  Him  be  given 
Israel's  God,  the  God  of  Heaven ! 

For  His  mercy  firm  and  sure 
Doth  from  age  to  age  endure. 

PSALM     CXXXVI  I. 

BY  the  rivers  of  Babylon  there  we  sat  down  ; 
When  we  thought  upon  Zion  our  tears  gan  to  flow  ; 
We  wept  when  we  thought  on  her  faded  renown, 
And  remembered  the  days  of  the  dear  long  ago. 


CXXXVIII  THE  PSALMS.  27 1 

2  We  hanged  up  our  harps  on  the  willows,  that  seemed 

With  branches  low  bending  to  share  in  our  grief  ; 
Homesick  and  despondent,  unceasingly  streamed 
Our  fast  flowing  tears,  which  yet  brought  no  relief. 

3  Our  captors  unfeelingly  asked  of  us  songs, 

And  they  that  tormented  us  asked  of  us  mirth  : 
<4A  song  sing,"  they  said,  "  that  to  Zion  belongs, 
A  favorite  song  of  the  land  of  your  birth." 

4  But  how  can  we  sing  the  Lord's  song  in  a  land 

Far  from  thee,  O  Jerusalem  !  strangers  among? 

5  If  less  than  most  dear  I  thee  hold,  let  my  hand 

Ail  its  cunning  forget,  and  be  palsied  my  tongue  ! 

7  Remember  it,  Lord,  against  Edom,  who  said 

In  the  day  of  Jerusalem's  utmost  distress  : 
"  Now  raze  it,  now  raze  it,  ev'n  down  to  its  bed  !  " 
Who  aided  the  foe,  and  who  wished  him  success. 

8  O  daughter  of  Babylon  !  desolate  made, 

He  happy  shall  be,  who  thy  many  proud  mocks 
And  merciless  doings  shall  thee  have  repaid, 

9  Thy  little  ones  dashing  against  the  hard  rocks. 

PSALM     CXXXVIII. 

I  GIVE  Thee  thanks  with  my  whole  heart, 
Before  the  gods  Thy  praise  will  sing, 
2   Will  towards  Thy  Holy  Temple  bow, 

And  bless  Thy  Name  for  everything — 
Thy  mercy  and  Thy  truth,  whereby 
Thy  promise  Thou  dost  magnify. 


272  THE  PSALMS.  CXXXIX 

3  Thou  didst  me  answer  when  I  called, 

And  with  Thy  strength  didst  me  make  bold  ; 

4  All  kings  shall  Thee  acknowledge,  Lord  ! 

When  they  Thy  sayings  shall  be  told  : 

5  They  of  Thy.  ways  shall  sing,  thy  great 
And  proper  glory  celebrate. 

6  Though  Thou  art  high,  Thou  dost  regard 

The  lowly,  and  their  prayers  dost  hear  ; 
But  dost  the  haughty  know  afar, 
And  on  them  look  with  eyes  severe  ; 

7  If  faint  I  sink,  Thou  wilt  revive, 
Mid  deaths  and  dangers  save  alive  ; 

Wilt  'gainst  the  wrath  of  foes  stretch  forth 
Thine  arm,  and  save  with  Thy  right  hand  ; 

8  Wilt  perfect  that  which  me  concerns, 

Till  all  begun  complete  shall  stand  : 
Thy  mercy  is  forevermore 
Work  of  Thy  hands,  O  give  not  o'er. 

PSALM     CXXXIX.* 

LORD,  with  all-seeing  eyes 
i     Thou  hast  me  searched  and  known  ; 
2   My  acts  of  rising  and  of  rest, 
My  doings  when  alone. 

*  This  wonderful  Psalm  seems  like  a  scientific  anachronism.  One  finds  it  diffi- 
cult to  believe  that  this  production,  evincing  apparently  the  utmost  familiarity 
with  all  the  facts  and  discoveries  upon  which  our  latest  Geologies,  Anthropologies 
and  Biologies  are  based,  was  written  3,000  years  ago  and  not  yesterday.  Certain 
it  is,  that  it  discourses  upon  the  prevailing  doctrine  of  Evolution  (Evolution  as 
taught  by  Agassiz,  not  by  Spencer)  with  the  ease  and  knowledge  of  the  profound' 


CXXXIX  THE  PSALMS.  273 

My  budding  thought  afar 
Is  open  to  Thy  gaze  ; 

3  Thou  compassest  my  path,  and  art 

Acquainted  with  my  ways. 

4  No  word  is  in  my  tongue 

Thou  dost  not  understand  : 

5  Thou  hast  beset  me  on  all  sides, 

And  on  me  laid  Thy  hand. 

6  Such  knowledge  is  too  high, 

Too  wonderful  for  me  : 

7  Where  shall  I  from  Thy  Spirit  go  ? 

Or  from  Thy  presence  flee? 

8  If  I  ascend  to  heaven, 

Or  make  my  bed  in  hell, 
Thou  art  there  present — in  the  height 
And  in  the  depth  as  well. 


est  adept  in  modern  science.  In  verses  15-18,  man  is  traced  back  to  his 
rudimentary  beginnings  ;  and  no  writing  could  speak  with  greater  plainness  and 
scientific  precision  of  the  Geologic  prophecies  which  the  fossil-bearing  rocks 
contain,  significant  of  the  coming  man.  However  we  may  explain  it,  there  it  is, 
set  forth  in  our  English  Version  made  well  nigh  300  years  ago,  by  translators  who 
were  ignorant  of  the  meaning  of  the  words  they  employed,  and  which  have  been 
a  puzzle  to  all  commentators  since.  We  read,  "  My  frame  was  not  hidden  from 
Thee  when  I  was  made  in  secret,  and  curiously  wrought  in  the  lowest  parts  0/ the 
earth.  Thine  eyes  did  see  my  substance  yet  being  imperfect,  and  in  Thy  book 
(book  of  Nature  whose  leaves  are  the  earth's  strata)  all  my  members  were  written, 
which  in  continuance  were  fashioned,  when  as  yet  theie  were  none  of  them,"  etc. 
Who  gave  the  Hebrew  poet  such  an  insight  into  the  mysteries  of  anatomical 
structure  as  to  enable  him  to  discover  in  the  ossicles  that  go  to  make  up  the  fin  of 
a  fish  typical  anticipations  (homologues)  of  the  bones  of  the  human  hand  ? 


274  THE  PSALMS,  CXXXIX 

9*'If  me  to  farthest  seas 

The  wings  of  morning  bear, 
10  The  hand  that  leads  and  holds  me  here, 
Shall  lead  and  hold  me  there. 

ii   If  I  say  :  "  Sure  the  dark 

Will  cover  me  from  sight," 

12  The  darkness  hideth  not  from  Thee, 

The  dark  is  as  the  light. 

13  I  in  my  mother's  womb 

Was  woven  and  arrayed  : 

14  For  I  am  fearfully  contrived, 

And  wonderfully  made. 

15  My  frame,  the  crowning  work 

Of  Thy  creative  plan, 
Was  seen,  though  hid  in  thousand  forms 
Prophetical  of  man, 

When  I  was  darkly  made, 

And  curiously  wrought 
In  lowest  depths  of  earth,  and  stood 

The  symbol  of  Thy  thought  : 

16  My  members  in  Thy  book 

Were  written  every  one, 
And  fashioned  were  unceasingly 
When  of  them  there  was  none. 


CXL  THE  PSALMS.  27$ 

17  How  precious  are  Thy  thoughts  ; 

The  sum  of  them  how  grand  ! 

18  If  I  should  count  them  they  are  more 

In  number  than  the  sand. 

In  Thy  safe  arms  I  lie, 

And  nightly  slumber  seek  : 
When  I  awake  I  'm  still  with  Thee, 

Thy  kiss  is  on  my  cheek. 

19  Thou  wilt  the  wicked  slay  ; 

Depart,  ye  men  of  blood  ! 

20  They  speak  against  Thee  wickedly. 

The  enemies  of  good. 

21  Do  not  I  hate  all  those, 

Jehovah,  that  hate  Thee  ? 

22  With  perfect  hatred  I  them  hate, 

I  count  them  foes  to  me. 

23  Search  me  and  know  my  heart, 

So  prone  to  self-deceit, 

24  And  in  the  everlasting  way 

Direct  my  wandering  feet  ? 

PSALM     CXL. 

DELIVER  from  the  evil  man, 
The  man  of  violence,  O  Lord  ! 
2   From  them  who  'gainst  me  mischief  plot, 
And  stir  up  wars — defence  afford. 


276  THE  PSALMS.  CXL 

2   Their  tongue  is,  like  a  serpent's,  sharp  : 

4  Their  lips  an  adder's  poison  hide  : 

5  The  proud  ones  have  laid  traps  for  me  : 

Have  spread  a  net  my  path  beside. 

6  Thou  art  my  God  :  vouchsafe  to  hear 

My  supplication,  Lord,  I  said  ; 

7  The  strength  of  my  salvation,  Thou 

In  battle  covered  hast  my  head. 

8  Give  not  the  wicked  their  desire  ; 

Defeat  the  evil  they  intend  ; 

9  To  shame  them,  let  on  their  own  head 

The  mischief  of  their  lips  descend. 

The  Lord  is  sure  to  recompense  : 

10  He  shall  live  coals  upon  them  rain, 
Plunge  them  in  fire,  cast  in  deep  pits, 

So  that  they  shall  not  rise  again. 

11  The  man  of  evil-speaking  tongue 

No  settled  place  on  earth  shall  know  ; 
The  violent  and  wicked  man 
Evil  shall  hunt  to  overthrow. 

12  Jehovah  will,  I  know,  maintain 

The  sufferer's  cause,  the  needy's  right  : 

13  The  righteous  shall  give  thanks  to  Thee, 

The  upright  dwell  in  Thy  dear  sight. 


CXLI  THE  PSALMS.  277 

PSALM      CXLI. 

OLORD,  make  haste  to  me,  and  let 
My  prayer  like  incense  to  Thee  rise  ; 
And  let  th'  uplifting  of  my  hands 
Be  as  the  evening  sacrifice. 

3  A  watch,  Lord,  set  before  my  mouth, 

And  keep  the  portal  of  my  lips  ; 

4  My  heart  to  evil  disincline, 

So  tempted  and  so  prone  to  slips. 

Let  me  all  forms  of  evil  shun, 
Avoid  the  doer  and  the  deed — 

Give  for  the  proud  a  wise  distaste, 
Nor  let  me  on  their  dainties  feed. 

5  When  me  the  righteous  smites,  it  shall 

A  kindness  be,  and  proof  of  love  ; 
A  grateful  oil  be  on  my  head, 
When  he  shall  faithfully  reprove, 

For  still  my  prayer  for  them  shall  rise  : 

6  When  overthrow  their  judges  meet — 
Hurled  down  among  the  rock — then  they 

Shall  hear  my  words,  for  they  are  sweet. 

7  As  when  one  ploughs  and  cleaves  the  earth, 

At  Shed's  mouth  our  bones  are  spread — 
Frequent  as  sheaves  on  fields  just  reaped 
The  scattered  bodies  of  the  dead. 


278  THE  PSALMS.  CXLII 

8  For  that  mine  eyes  are  unto  Thee, 

O  God,  the  Lord,  in  whom  I  trust, 
Leave  me  not  destitute,  a  prey 
To  machinations  of  th'  unjust. 

9  Keep  from  the  snares  they  laid  for  me, 

From  nets  and  gins  of  every  shape  ; 
10  Bad  men  make  fall  in  their  own  traps, 
Whilst  I  meanwhile  unharmed  escape. 

PSALM     CXLII. 

I  TO  Jehovah  cry 
With  supplicating  moan  ; 

2  I  pour  before  Him  my  complaint, 

My  trouble  I  make  known. 

3  Then  when  my  spirit  faints, 

Thou,  Thou  my  path  dost  know, 
And  how  they  've  hid  a  snare  for  me 
Along  the  way  I  go. 

4  Look  to  the  right,  and  see, 

I  've  no  defender  there ; 
Refuge  has  failed  me,  there  's  no  man 
That  for  my  soul  doth  care. 

5  I  cried  to  Thee,  I  said  : 

"  Thou  art  my  Refuge,  Lord  ! 
My  portion  in  the  land  of  life, 
And  my  supreme  reward." 


CX  LI  1 1  THE  PSALMS.  279 

6  For  I  'm  brought  very  low, 

Attend  unto  my  cry — 
From  my  pursuers  save,  for  they 
Are  mightier  than  I. 

7  My  soul  from  prison  bring, 

To  render  thanks  to  Thee  ; 
The  righteous  shall  me  gather  round 
When  Thou  shalt  favor  me. 

PSALM     CXLIII. 

JEHOVAH   hear  my  prayer, 
Which  I  to  Thee  address  ; 
According  to  Thy  faithful  word 
Answer  in  righteousness. 

2  Not  at  Thy  judgment-bar 

Do  Thou  Thy  servant  try  ; 

For  no  man  living  righteous  is 

Before  Thy  searching  eye. 

3  The  foe  has  vexed  my  soul, 

And  has  my  life  brought  low  ; 
Has  made  me  dwell  in  darkness,  like 
The  dead  of  long  ago. 

4  Therefore  my  spirit  faints, 

My  heart  is  desolate  ; 

5  I  recollect  the  days  of  old, 

Thy  doings  meditate. 


280  THE  PSALMS.  CXLIV 

I  muse  upon  Thy  works, 

6  I  stretch  toward  Thee  my  hand  ; 
My  soul  for  Thee  is  thirsty,  like 

A  dry  and  weary  land. 

7  Send  speedy  answer,  Lord, 

My  spirit  fails  for  it  ; 
Hide  not  Thy  Face,  lest,  dying,  I 
Go  down  into  the  pit. 

8  Me  in  the  morning  make 

Thy  loving-kindness  know  ; 
Cause  me  to  understand  the  way 
Wherein  I  ought  to  go. 

9  Lord,  free  me  from  my  foes  : 

I  hide  myself  with  Thee — 
io  Teach  me  to  do  Thy  will,  my  God, 
Thy  Spirit  guiding  me. 

ii  For  Thy  Name's  sake,  O  Lord  ! 

Me  quicken  and  relieve  ; 
12   My  foes  destroy,  the  foes  of  right, 

Who  vex  my  soul  and  grieve. 

PSALM     CXLIV. 

THRICE  blessed  be  the  Lord,  my  Rock, 
Defender  of  the  Right ! 
My  hands  He  for  the  battle  trains, 
My  fingers  for  the  fight. 


CXL1V  THE  PSALMS.  28 1 

2  My  Goodness,  Fortress  and  High  Tower, 

Deliverer  and  Shield, 
My  Trust,  He  Who  my  people  makes 
Subjection  to  me  yield. 

3  Lord  what  is  man  that  Thou  shouldst  know 

4  Or  think  of  him  ?     A  breath — 
The  shadow  of  a  flying  cloud 

Swept  by  the  wind  of  death. 

5  Thy  heaven  of  heavens,  Jehovah,  bow  ; 

In  majesty  come  down  ; 
The  mountains  touch  so  that  they  smoke  ;  , 
And,  from  Thy  gathered  frown, 

6  Cast  lightnings  forth,  and  scatter  them — 

Confounding  arrows  hurl  ; 

7  Stretch  out  Thy  hand  from  highest  heaven, 

And  snatch  me  from  the  whirl 

Of  whelming  waters  ;  from  the  hands 
Of  aliens  threatening  nigh  ; 

8  From  those  whose  mouth  deception  speaks, 

And  whose  right  hand  's  a  lie  ! 

9  I  '11  then  a  new  song  unto  Thee 

Indite  and  sing,  O  Lord  ! 
I  will  sing  praises  unto  Thee 
Upon  the  decachord. 


2%2  THE  PSALMS.  CXLIV 

10  Thou  dost  salvation  give  to  kings, 
From  hurtful  sword  dost  free 
Thy  servant  David  :  Wherefore,  Lord, 
ii       Deliverance  give  to  me, 

Out  of  the  hands  of  aliens,  those 

Whose  false  mouths  testify, 
And  whose  right  hand  is  lifted  up 

To  solemnize  a  lie — 

12  So  that  our  sons  may  be  as  plants, 

To  ripeness  grown  full  soon  ; 
Our  daughters  be  as  corner-stones 
For  a  fair  palace  hewn  ; 

13  Our  garners  be  heaped  high  with  corn  ; 

Our  flocks  be  multiplied, 
By  thousands  and  ten  thousands,  spread 
O'er  vale  and  mountain-side  ; 

14  Our  oxen  drawing  loaded  wains, 

Men's  eyes  delighted  greet  ; 
No  breaking  in,  no  going  out, 
No  outcry  in  the  street. 

15  Happy  the  people,  who  are  thus 

Honored  of  God  as  His  ! 
Happy  the  people,  happiest  known 
Whose  God  Jehovah  is  ! 


CXLV  THE  PSALMS.  283 

PSALM     CXLV. 

I  WILL  Thy  Name  extol, 
My  God,  O  King,  and  bless  ; 

2  Each  day  Thy  love  recall, 

Perpetual  praise  express. 

3  The  Lord  is  great,  too  great  to  tell, 
His  greatness  is  unsearchable. 

4  One  generation  shall 

Unto  another  bear 
Thy  fame  terrestrial, 

Thy  mighty  acts  declare  ; 

5  Thy  glorious  majesty  and  state 
And  wondrous  works  I  will  relate  ; 


6  And  men  shall  tell  in  verse 

The  might  of  Thy  dread  acts  ; 
Thy  greatness  shall  rehearse, 

7  Enlarge  upon  the  facts 

Of  Thy  great  goodness  from  of  old, 
And  righteous  judgments  manifold. 

8  The  Lord  is  full,  we  know, 

Of  love  to  all  that  live  : 
To  anger  He  is  slow, 
And  ready  to  forgive  ; 

9  High  over  all,  His  mercies  span, 
Like  the  dear  sky,  the  race  of  man. 


284  THE  PSALMS.  CXLV 

10  Thee  all  Thy  works  shall  praise  : 

And  all  Thy  saints  shall  bless — 

11  The  glory  of  Thy  kingdom  blaze, 

12  Acts  of  almightiness  : 

13  Thine  empire  stable  is  and  vast, 
Thy  kingdom  shall  forever  last 

14  Thou  notest  each  man's  state, 

And  raisest  those  that  fall ; 

15  All  eyes  upon  Thee  wait, 

And  Thou  dost  feed  them  all  ; 

16  Thine  open  hand  hath  full  supply, 
And  every  want  doth  satisfy. 

17  The  Lord  is  just  and  pure, 

In  all  His  works  and  ways  ; 

18  His  grace  is  near  and  sure, 

To  him  who  truly  prays — 

19  To  them  who  fear  Him,  that  they  crave 
He  will  fulfill  ;  and  hear  and  save. 

20  All  who  Jehovah  love, 

They  safety  shall  enjoy  ; 
But  all  the  wicked  He 
Will  finally  destroy  : 

21  My  mouth  His  praises  shall  proclaim — 

Let  all  flesh  bless  His  Holy  Name  ! 


CXLVI  THE  PSALMS.  285 

PSALM     CXLVI. 
Hallelujah  ! 

PRAISE  Jehovah,  O  my  soul ! 
I  will  praise  Him  while  I  live  : 

2  While  I  shall  have  being,  I 

Will  melodious  praises  give. 

3  Not  in  princes  put  your  trust, 

Not  on  mortal  man  rely, 

4  Breath  departs,  on  that  same  day 

His  own  projects  with  him  die. 

5  Happy  he  whose  help  and  hope 

On  the  Lord  his  God  are  laid — 

6  Him,  Who  heaven  and  earth  and  sea 

With  their  countless  people  made  ; 

Keeping  truth  forevermore  ; 

7  Doing  justice  for  th'  oppressed  ; 
To  the  hungry  giving  bread  ; 

Freeing  prisoners  distressed. 

8  He  the  blind  restores  to  sight  ; 

He  the  burdened  soul  upbears  ; 
He  the  righteous  loves,  and  He 
6       For  the  friendless  stranger  cares. 

He  the  fatherless  relieves, 

And  the  widow  ;  but  the  way 
Of  the  wicked  crooked  makes — 
10       Dear  and  endless  is  His  sway  ! 
Hallelujah  ! 


286  j HE  PSALMS.  CXLVII 


PSALM     CXLVII. 

ALLELUJAH  !     It  is  good 
Praise  to  sing  unto  our  God  : 
Comely  is  it  and  thrice  fit 
Him  to  celebrate  and  laud. 


H 


2  He  rebuilds  Jerusalem  : 

Back  from  exile  Israel  brings  : 

3  He  the  broken-hearted  heals, 

And  relieves  their  sufferings. 

4  Tells  the  number  and  the  names 

Of  th'  uncounted  stars  of  night  ; 

5  Great  and  mighty  is  our  Lord 

And  His  knowledge  infinite. 

6  He  the  lowly  raises  up, 

Casts  the  wicked  to  the  ground  ; 

7  With  thanksgiving  sing  to  Him, 

On  the  harp  His  praise  resound. 

8  He  the  heaven  o'erspreads  with  clouds, 

For  the  earth  preparing  rain  ; 
And  He  makes  the  grass  to  grow 
On  the  mountain  and  the  plain. 

9  To  the  beast  He  gives  his  food  ; 

Answers  the  young  raven's  cry  ; 
19   Him  nor  strength  of  horse  nor  man 
Pleases — foot  nor  cavalry. 


CXLVII  THE  PSALMS.  2$ 7 

11  He  is  pleased  with  them  who  fear, 

Them  that  in  His  mercy  hope  ; 
He  will  make  them  wise  and  strong 
With  the  enemy  to  cope. 

12  Praise  the  Lord,  Jerusalem  ! 

Praise  thy  God,  O  Zion  !    He 

13  Strengthened  has  thy  gates,  thy  sons 

Blest  has  in  the  midst  of  thee 

14  Peace  He  in  thy  borders  makes  ; 

Fills  thee  with  the  fat  of  wheat  ; 

15  His  commandment  sends  He  forth, 

Runs  His  word  on  swiftest  feet. 

16  Snow  He  gives  like  wool  :  hoar  frost 

Spreads  like  ashes  o'er  the  land  ; 

17  He  His  ice,  like  crumbs,  casts  forth — 

Who  before  His  cold  can  stand  ? 

17   He  sends  out  His  timely  word, 
Causes  a  warm  wind  to  blow, 
And  He  melts  them,  so  again 
The  congealed  waters  flow. 

19  He  His  word  to  Jacob  shows, 

Makes  His  laws  to  Israel  known, 

20  To  no  other  nation  He 

Has  such  grace  and  favor  shown. 


288  THE  PSALMS.  CXLVIII 


H 


PSALM     CX  LVIII. 

ALLELUJAH  !  all  unite! 

Praise  Jehovah  in  the  height  ; 
From  the  heavens  let  praise  arise 
To  the  Maker  of  the  Skies. 


2  Praise  Him,  all  ye  angels  bright  ; 

3  Praise  Him,  all  ye  stars  of  light ; 
Praise  Him,  sun  and  moon,  whose  rays 
Beautify  the  nights  and  days. 

4  Praise  Him,  as  ye  upward  soar, 
Heaven  of  heavens,  forevermore  ; 
Praise  Him,  waters  of  the  sky, 
Stored  in  airy  depths  on  high. 

5  Let  them  praise  Jehovah's  Name, 
For  He  spake  and  forth  they  came ; 

6  Stablished  them  by  a  decree 
Which  can  never  broken  be. 

7  Praise  Jehovah  from  the  earth  ; 
Praise  the  power  that  gave  you  birth, 
All  ye  monsters  of  the  main, 

All  the  ocean's  depths  contain. 

8  Praise  Him,  fire  and  hail  and  snow  ; 
Mists,  and  stormy  winds  that  blow 
Over  sea  and  over  land, 
Executing  His  command  ; 


CXLIX  THE  PSALMS.  289 

9   Mountains,  and  ye  uplands  all, 
Fruitful  trees  and  cedars  tall, 

10  Savage  beasts,  and  flocks,  and  herds, 
Creeping  things,  and  winged  birds, 

11  Monarchs,  exercising  sway, 
And  all  peoples  these  obey, 
Champions  of  their  country's  cause, 
Princes,  judges  of  the  laws, 

12  Youths  and  maidens,  elders  sage, 
Children,  too,  of  tender  age — 

13  Make  Jehovah's  praises  known 
For  His  Xame  is  great  alone. 

Hallelujah. 


P  S  A  L  M     CXLIX. 

ALLELUJAH  !     A  new  song 
Let  the  congregation  sing  ; 
Let  the  sons  of  Zion  joy 

In  their  Maker  and  their  King  ; 


H 


3  Let  them  praise  Him  in  the  dance, 

With  the  timbrel  beating  time  ; 
Tune  His  praise  to  pulsing  wires, 
And  the  harp's  melodious  chime. 

4  For  Jehovah  pleasure  takes 

In  His  people  from  on  high  ; 
In  due  time  He  will  the  meek 
With  salvation  beautify. 


13 


290  THE  PSALMS.  CL 

5  Let  His  honored  saints  exult, 

On  their  beds  sing  to  the  Lord — 

6  God's  high  praises  in  their  mouth, 

In  their  hand  a  two-edged  sword, 

7  Punishment  to  execute 

On  the  nations  that  environ  ; 
Bind  their  kings  and  nobles  with 
Fetters  strong  and  chains  of  iron. 

Hallelujah. 


H 


PSALM     C  L . 

ALLELUJAH  !     Praise  the  Lord, 
Earth  and  heaven,  in  sweet  accord 
Praise  ye  Him  with  voices  clear 
In  His  Sanctuary  here. 


Praise  Him  in  the  firmament, 
Reared  by  power  omnipotent  : 

2  Praise  Him  for  His  works  of  might  ; 
For  His  greatness  infinite. 

3  Him  with  sound  of  trumpet  sharp  ; 
Him  with  psaltery  and  harp  ; 

4  Him  with  timbrel  and  with  dance, 
Joined  in  pleasing  consonance  ; 

Him  with  strings,  with  lyre  and  lute, 
Piercing  pipe  and  warbling  flute, 

5  Clanging  cymbals,  every  thing 

6  Musical  accompanying — 


CL  THE  PSALMS.  29 1 

Praise  Him  with  uplifted  palms  ; 
Praise  Him  in  perpetual  psalms  ; 
Let  each  creature  that  hath  breath  ; 
Praise  the  Lord  of  life  and  death  ! 

Hallelujah  ! 


Sit  laus  Patri  cum  Filio, 
Sancto  simul  Paraclito, 
Nobisque  mittat  Filius 
Charisma  Sancti  Spiritus. 

Praise  to  the  Father  with  the  Son 
And  Comforter,  dear  Three  in  One 
And  may  the  Son  on  us  in  love 
Send  down  the  Spirit  from  above. 


Addenda  et  Corrigenda. 

Introduction,  p.  v,  line  6  from  top,  insert  here  before  'wed.' 

Introduction,  p.  xi,  line  13  from  lop,  for  thus  read  then. 

Introduction,  p.  xviii,  line  10  from  top,/cr  1605  read  1695. 

Introduction,  p.  xlii,  line  15  from  top,  substitute  comma  after  '  cross-lightning. 

Introduction,  p.  xliii,  line  10  from  bottom,  insert  we  after  'how.' 

Introduction,  p.  lv,  line  9  from  top,  for  Qui  read  Cui. 

Introduction,  p.  lxi,  line  8  from  bottom,  for  cxvi  read  cxiv. 

Psalm  xviii,  p.  27,  substitute  for  third  stanza  from  top  the  following  : 

Dark  waters  and  thick  clouds 
Were  made  His  secret  bower  ; 
12  Thence  hail-stones  came  and  coals  of  fire 
In  fierce  descending  shower-- 

The  charged  clouds  bursting  passed, 

Rent  were  the  blackened  skies, 
Before  the  brightness  of  His  face 

And  splendor  of  His  eyes. 

Psalm  xix,  p.  33,  line  8  from  top,y~<;r  in  read  is. 
Psalm  xxiv,  p.  42,  line  4  of  first  stanza,  for  dwells  read  dwell. 
Psalm  xli,  p.  77,  Note,  line  9  from  bottom,  for  Ps.  102  read  Ps.  101. 
Psalm  lvi,  p.  105,  for  second  stanza  from  top  substitute  the  following  : 

In  God  I  trust,  Jehovah's  word 

Theme  of  my  praise  shall  be  ; 
Because  I  trust,  I  will  not  fear 

What  man  can  do  to  me. 

Psalm  lxxviii,  p.  150,  after  second  stanza  from  top,  insert  the  following  : 

23  Yet  to  the  clouds  command  was  given, 
And  opened  were  the  doors  of  heaven  ; 

24  Manna  to  eat  was  on  them  shed, 

25  Celestial  corn,  angelic  bread. 

26  He  made  an  east  wind  blow  with  force, 
Guided  a  whirlwind  in  its  course, 

27  Rained  on  them  quails  as  dust  or  sand, 

28  That  filled  with  flesh  each  hungry  hand. 

211  Their  sinful  lusting  not  denied, 
I  hey  ate  till  they  were  satisfied  ; 

30  Then  mid  the  glut  on  viands  new, 

31  God  smote  them,  and  their  strongest  slew. 

Psalm  cx,  p.  228,  stanza  4  read  : 

4  Sworn  hath  Jehovah,  He'll  not  change  — 
Thou  shalt  forever  be, 
In  likeness  of  Mclchizcdck, 
A  Royal  Priest  to  Me. 


I  N  D  E  X 


PSALM.  GE. 

49  All  men.  where'er  ye  dwell,  give  ear—         .....  90 

125  All  who  in  Jehovah  trust.              ......  257 

42-43  As  the  flying  hart,  pursued,           ......  78 

37  At  evil-doers  do  not  fret :......  66 

67  Be  merciful  and  bless.             .......  121 

57  Be  merciful  to  me,  O  God  !......  105 

56  Be  merciful,  O  God,  to  me,    .......  104 

14  Besotted  pupil  in  that  school,       ......  20 

119  Blest  are  the  perfect  in  the  way,        ......  239 

32  Blest  is  the  man,  who  stands  forgiven    .....  56 

86  Bow  down  Thine  ear,  O  Lord,  to  me,           .....  1^4 

137  By  the  rivers  of  Babylon  there  we  sat  down  ;               ...  270 

4  Delay  not  answer  when  I  call,            ......  4 

59  Deliver  me  from  those,      .......  108 

70  Deliver  me,  O  God !     .           .           .            .           .           .           .  131 

140  Deliver  from  the  evil  man,            ......  275 

127  Except  the  Lord  shall  build  the  House,        .            .            .            .            .  259 

45  From  my  heart's  fountain,  my  great  theme       ....  83 

55  Give  ear  unto  my  prayer,  O  God  !  .  .  .  .  .101 

5  Give  ear  unto  my  words,  O  Lord  !.....  6 
107  Give  Jehovah  thanks,  for  He  .  .  .  .  .217 
105  Give  to  Jehovah  thanks  and  praise  !        .            .            .            .            .  208 

29  Give  to  the  Lord,  ye  sons  of  might,  .  ...  .  .50 

48  God  is  great,  and  only  great :......  89 

46  God  is  our  Refuge  and  our  Rock.       ......  86 

68  God  shall  arise  and  scatter  them,             .....  122 

149  Hallelujah  !     A  new  song         .            .            .            .            .            .            .  289 

148  Hallelujah  !     All  unite  !                 ......  288 

147  Hallelujah  !     It  is  good             .......  286 

113  Hallelujah!    Praise  accord,          ......  231 

135  Hallelujah!     Praise  ye  Jah ;  .  .  .  .  .  .265 


294 


INDEX. 


PSALM.  PAGE 

150  Hallelujah !    Praise  the  Lord             ......  290 

112  Hellelujah!    This  attest                ......  229 

41   Happy  is  he  whose  heart  unlocks       ......  75 

128  Happy  the  man  who  fears  the  Lord,        .....  260 

51   Have  mercy,  my  offended  God  ;•        .  .  .  .  .  .97 

51   Have  pity  on  me,  Lord  !     ......  94 

102   Hear,  O  Jehovah,  let  my  cry  .  .  .  .  .  .191 

73   Hear,  O  my  people,  I  will  tell       ......  148 

61   Hear  Thou,  O  God,  my  cry;               ......  112 

17  Hear  Thou  the  right,  O  God  !       ......  24 

12  Help,  Lord,  for  these  are  evil  days  ;  .....  19 
109  Hold  not  Thy  peace,  God  of  my  praise  !  ....  224 
133   How  g  ;od  and  pleasant  'tis    .......  264 

57   How  is  it,  judges,  ye  sit  dumb,     ......  107 

13  How  long  wilt  Thou,  Lord,  me  forget  ?                     .            .            -            .20 
84   How  lovely  are  Thy  Dwellings,  Lord  !               ....  161 

124  If  God  had  not  been  on  our  side,        .            .            .            .            .  257 

138  I  give  Thee  thanks  with  my  whole  heart,          .            .            .            .  271 

18  I  love  Thee,  Lord  !    my  Strength,      ......  26 

77  I '11  lift  my  voice  to  God,               ......  146 

76  In  Judah  God  is  known  ;  His  Name               .....  144 

31   In  Thee,  O  Lord,  I  put  my  trust—          .....  53 

120  I  prayed  the  Lord  in  my  distress,       .            .            .            .            .  254 

71   I  put  my  trust,  Lord  !  in  Thy  Name  :      .....  132 

11   I  put  my  trust  in  God  my  King:        ......  17 

39  I  said,  I  will  take  heed,  that  I       .....  72 

142  I  to  Jehovah  cry            .                        ......  278 

123  I  unto  Thee  do  lift  my  eyes,          ......  256 

40  I  waited  for  the  Lord  till  He               ......  73 

34  I  will  bless  the  Lord,  and  raise      ......  60 

30  I  will  extol  Thee  and  adore,               ......  51 

145   I  will  Thy  Name  extol,       ....-.-  283 

9   I  with  my  whole  heart  will  praise,                 .....  12 

143  Jehovah  hear  my  prayer,               ......  279 

97  Jehovah  reigns:  let  earth  rejoice  ;     ......  186 

99  Jehovah  reigns,  the  Mighty  God,             .....  188 

24  Jehovah's  right  to  all  extends  ;...---  42 

noyjehovah  said^unto  my  Lord  :...---  227 

26  Judge  me,  O  Lord  !  to  Thee  I  dare    ......  46 

83   Keep  silence  not,  O  God  !             ..----  J59 


INDEX. 


295 


PSALM.  PAGE. 

95  Let  us  to  Jehovah  raise,            .......  183 

88  Lord  God  of  my  Salvation,  I         .....  167 

94  Lord  God  of  recompense,        .            -             -            .  •           .             .             .  180 

7  Lord,  my  God,  in  Thee  I  trust,  .....  8 
90  Lord,  Thou  hast  been  our  dwelling-place,  .  .  174 
10  Lord,  why  standest  Thou  afar  ?               .            .             .             .             .  15 

139  Lord,  with  all-seeing  eyes,                   ......  272 

134  Lo,  we  you  greet !  Jehovah  bless,            .....  264 

20  May  God  thee  answer  in  the  day,       ......  34 

108  My  heart  is  fixed,  my  heart  is  fixed,         .....  222 

22  My  God,  my  God,  O  why,        .......  36 

62  My  soul  is  silent  unto  God,            ......  113 

73  My  tongue  was  loosed,  I  broke  the  spell,      .            .            .            .            .138 
101  Mercy  and  judgment  will  I  sing;              .                         ...  190 

121  Not  haughty  is  my  heart ;...-...  261 
115  Not  unto  us,  but  glory  give,          ......  232 

47  O  all  ye  peoples,  clap  your  hands  ;     .  .  .  .  .  .88 

100  O  all  ye  lands,  unite  your  joys ;                 .  189 

103  O  bless  the  Lord,  my  soul  !                 .                                                    .             .  194 
1  O  happy  is  the  man  who  hath       ......  1 

63  O  God,  my  God,  Thou  art        .            .             .             .             .    '        .            .  114 

64  O  God  !  hear  my  complaint  and  pra)  er,              .            -            .             .  116 
72  O  God  !  supremest  Source        .            .            .            .            .            .  134 

44  O  God  !  we  with  our  ears  have  heard,   .....  81 

74  O  God,  why  dost  Thou  cast  us  off  ?                .....  141 

122  O  I  was  glad  then,  when  they  said  :_....  255 
3  O  Lord  !  how  many  foes          ....  3 

141  O  Lord,  make  haste  to  me,  and  let          ....  277 

8  O  Lord,  our  Lord,  in  all  the  earth,  .  .  .  .  .11 

104  O  Lord,  my  God,  Thou  art            ....                          .  196 
1D4  O  Lord,  my  God,  Thou  art      .......  202 

87  On  consecrated  ground,    .......  166 

117  O  praise  the  Lord,  His  name  extol,                .....  236 

118  O  thank  the  Lord,  for  He  is  good —        .....  236 
133  Out  of  the  depths  I  call  on  Thee        .            .            .            .            .            .261 

6j  Perpetual  worship  for  Thee  waits            .....  117 

hi  Praise  Jehovah  !  I  will  bring               ......  228 

146  Praise  Jehovah,  O  my  soul !......  285 

136  Praise  the  Lord  for  He  is  good,          ......  267 


296 


IXDEX. 


PSALM.  PAGE. 

106  Praise  ye  the  Lord,  for  He  is  good            .....  212 

54  Preserve  me  by  Thy  name,  O  God  !               .            .            .            .            .  ioo 

16  Preserve  me,  for  in  Thee  I  trust,             .....  22 

6  Rebuke  me  not  in  anger,  Lord  !                                                           .            .  7 

33   Rejoice,  ye  righteous,  in  the  Lord.            .....  58 

132  Remember  David's  deep  concern,       ......  262 

80  Shepherd  of  Israel,  give  ear—       ......  155 

81  Shout  to  the  Lord,  our  Strength          .            .            .            .            .  156 

66   Shout  unto  God,  all  lands,              ......  119 

98   Sing  a  new  song  of  matchless  charm  !            .....  187 

96   Sing  to  Jehovah  a  new  song,          ......  184 

38  Spare  me  !  howe'er  deserved,             ......  70 

35  Strive  Thou  with  those  who  strive  with  me  ;  .  .  .  62 
69  Succor,  O  God  !  and  save        _            _            .            .            .            .            .  127 

79   The  heathen  in  Thine  heritage,     ......  153 

21   The  King  shall  in  Thy  strength  rejoice,         .            .                         .            -  35 

27  The  Lord  my  Saviour  is,  and  Light  .....  47 
23  The  Lord  my  Shepherd  is,  .  .  .  .  .  41 
23  The  Lord  is  my  shepherd,  I  never  shall  want  ....  42 
89  The  mercies  of  the  Lord          .......  169 

82  The  Mighty  God  of  Heaven          ......  158 

50   The  Mighty  God,  the  Lord  of  all,     ......  92 

19   The  rolling  skies  with  lips  of  flame          .....  32 

53   "  There  is  no  God  " — the  fool  hath  said,       .  .  .  .  .99 

129   "  They  many  a  time,'' let  Israel  say,        .....  260 

60  Thou,  God,  hast  cast  us  off ;  .  .  .  .  .  .110 

85   Thou  hast,  O  Lord,  in  former  years        .....  163 

144  Thrice  blessed  be  the  Lord,  my  Rock,           .....  280 

92   To  give  Jehovah  thanks,                .            .            .             .            .            .  178 

25   To  Thee  I  lift  my  soul —           .......  43 

28  To  Thee,  O  Lord,  I  lift  my  cry— 49 

121   Up  to  the  Hills  I  lift  mine  eyes,         ......  254 

75   We  give  Thee  Thanks,  O  God  ! 143 

126  When  captive  Zion  God  brought  back  .  .  .  .  .258 

114   When  Israel,  he'd  in  bondage  long,        ......  231 

36  Wickedness  within  the  heart  .  .  .  .  .  .64 

91   Who  has  his  refuge  in  the  sky,                 .....  176 

15   Who  shall  inhabit,  Lord,  Thy  tent  ?                .....  21 

52    Why  boasteth  thou  thyself  in  mischief,  mighty  man  ?             .            .  98 

2    Why  do  the  nations  rage,        .......  2 


LATIN    HYMNS   WITH    ORIGINAL    TRANSLA- 
/         TIONS.      By  Abraham  Coles,  M.  D.  LL.  D., 
D.  Appleton  &  Company,  New  York. 

In  Four  Parts,  viz.: 

i — Dies  Ir.e,  in  Thirteen  Original  Versions.  Fifth 
Edition,     pp.  no. 

2 — Stabat  Mater  (dolorosa).     Second  Edition,     pp.  37. 

3 — Stabat  Mater  (speciosa).     pp.  25. 

4 — Old  Gems  in  New  Settings.  Being  additional  Se- 
lections from  Mediaeval  Hymnology.     pp.  77. 

All   bound   together,   with  Biographical   and   Critical 
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THE  MICROCOSM   AND  OTHER  POEMS.      Beau- 
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In  Verse.  Being  a  complete  Harmonized  Expo- 
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In  Two  Volumes,  viz.: 

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NOTICES   OF   THE    PRESS. 

"  We  commend  the  volume  (Dies  Ir.e,  In  Thirteen  Original  Ver- 
sions) as  one  of  great  interest,  and  an  admirable  tribute  from  Ameri- 
can scholarship  and  poetic  taste  to  the  supreme  nobility  of  the  original 
poem.  Dr.  Coles  has  shown  a  fine  appreciation  of  the  spirit  and 
rhythmic  movement  of  the  Hymn,  as  well  as  unusual  command  of 
language  and  rhyme  ;  and  we  much  doubt  whether  any  translation  of 
the  Dies  lire,  better  than  the  first  of  the  thirteen,  will  ever  be  pro- 
duced in  English,  except  perhaps  by  himself.  ...  As  to  the  transla- 
tion of  the  Hymn,  it  is  perhaps  the  most  difficult  task  that  could  be 
undertaken.  To  render  Faust  or  the  Songs  of  Egmont  into  fitting 
English  numbers,  would  be  easy  in  comparison. — Richard  Gram 
White  {The  Albion). 

"The  book  is  a  gem  both  typographically  and  intrinsically  ;  beau- 
tifully printed  at  the  '  Riverside  Press,'  in  the  loveliest  antique  type, 
on  tinted  paper,  with  liberal  margins,  embellished  with  exquisite 
photographs  of  the  great  masterpieces  of  Christian  Art,  and  withal 
elegantly  and  solidly  bound  in  Matthew's  best  style,  a  gentleman-like 
book,  suggestive  of  Christmas  and  the  centre-table  ;  and  its  contents 
worthy  of  their  dainty  envelope,  amply  entitling  it  as  well  to  a  place 

on  the  shelves  of  the   scholar The  first  two   of  the  Thirteen 

Versions  of  the  Dies  Irce  appeared  in  the  '  Newark  Daily  Advertiser ' 
as  long  ago  as  1847.  They  were  extensively  copied  by  the  press,  and 
warmly  commended — particularly  by  the  Rev.  Drs.  James  W.  Alex- 
ander and  W.  R.  Williams,  scholars  whose  critical  acumen  and  liter- 
ary ability  are  universally  recognized — as  being  the  best  of  the 
English  versions  in  double  rhyme  ;  and  examples  of  singular  success 
in  a  difficult  undertaking,  in  which  many,  and  of  eminent  name,  had 
been  competitors.  The  eleven  other  versions  are  worthy  companions 
of  those  which  have  received  such  eminent  endorsement.  Indeed, 
we  are  not  sure  but  that  the  last,  which  is  in  the  same  measure  as 
Crashaw's,  but  in  our  judgment  far  superior,  will  please  the  general 
taste  most  of  all." — Rev,  S.  I.  Prime,  D.  D.  {New  York  Observer). 

"  There  are  few  versions  of  the  Hymn  which  will  bear  to  be  com- 
pared with  these  ;  we  are  surprised  that  they  are  all  so  well  done." 
William  C.  Bryant  (N.    Y.  Evening  Post). 

"Dr.   Coles    has    made,    we    think,    the   most    successful   attempt 

at  an  English  translation  of  the  hymn  that  we  have  ever  seen 

He  has  done  so  well  that  we  hope  he  will  try  his  hand  on  some  of  the 
other  Latin  Hymns.  By  rendering  them  in  their  own  metres,  and 
with  so  large  a  transfusion  of  their  spirit  as  characterizes  his  present 
attempt,  he  will  be  doing  a  real  service  to  the  lovers  of  that  kind  of 


religious  poetry  in  which  neither  the  religion  nor  the  poetry  is  left  out. 
He  has  shown  that  he  knows  the  worth  of  faithfulness." — James 
Russell  Lowell  {Atlantic  Monthly). 

"Of  Dr.  Coles'  remarkable  success  as  respects  these  particulars 
(namely,  faithfulness  and  variety),  no  one  competent  to  judge  can 
doubt....  For  all  that  enters  into  a  good  translation,  fidelity  to  the 
sense  of  the  original,  uniform  conformity  to  its  tenses,  preservation 
of  its  metrical  form  without  awkwardly  inverting,  inelegantly  abbrevia- 
ting, or  violently  straining  the  sense  of  the  words,  and  the  reproduc- 
tion of  its  vital  spirit — for  all  these  qualities  Dr.  Coles'  first  translation 
stands,  we  believe,  not  only  unsurpassed,  but  unequalled  in  the  Eng- 
lish language." — Christian  {Quarterly)  Review. 

"Dr.  A.  Coles  has  long  been  known  to  the  literary  worid  as  spec- 
ially successful  in  the  translation  of  Latin  Hymns.  His  renderings 
of  the  Dies  In?  are  familiar  to  many  readers.  He  has  now  also  pre- 
pared a  book  entitled  Old  Gems  in  New  Settings,  an  exquisite  volume, 
in  which  we  find  the  De  Coniemptu  Mundi,  the  Veni  Sancte  Spiritus, 
and  other  fine  old  favorites  skillfully  and  gracefully  translated.  The 
grand  hymn  or  poem  of  Bernard  de  Clugny,  of  which  the  extracts  in 
this  book  are  styled  Urbs  Ca-lestis  Syon,  is  rendered  in  a  style  very 
nearly  resembling  the  original,  and  gives  the  reader,  who  does  not 
understand  Latin,  an  excellent  idea  of  the  peculiar  characteristics  of 
the  hymn  of  Bernard.  Besides  these,  we  have  the  Stabat  Mater,  with 
a  complete  history  of  the  noble  hymn,  and  a  very  fine  translation.  The 
lovers  of  old  hymns  owe  a  special  debt  of  gratitude  to  Dr.  Coles  for 
the  good  taste  and  the  thorough  appreciation  and  ability  which  he 
brings  to  the  work  of  placing  these  glorious  old  songs  within  reach  of 
the  modern  world.  We  could  wish  them  to  become  favorites  in 
every  family,  and  they  will  so  become  in  spite  of  their  Latin  origin." 
—  William  C.  Prime  {Journal  of  Commerce). 

"  United  with  a  rare  command  of  language  and  facility  of  versifica- 
tion, this  is  the  secret  of  the  eminent  success  with  which  the  Transla- 
tor has  reproduced  the  solemn  litany  of  the  Middle  Ages  in  such  a 
variety  of  forms.  If  not  all  of  equal  excellence,  it  is  hard  to  decide 
as  to  their  respective  merits,  so  admirably  do  they  embody  the  tone 
and  sentiment  of  the  original  in  vigorous  and  impressive  verse.  The 
essays  which  precede  and  follow  the  Hymn,  exhibit  the  learning  and 
the  taste  of  the  translator  in  a  most  favorable  light,  and  show  that  an 
antiquary  and  a  poet  have  not  been  lost  in  the  study  of  science  and 
the  practice  of  a  laborious  profession.  In  addition  to  the  Thirteen 
Versions  of  Dies  Ine,  the  volume  contains  translations  of  the  Stabat 
Mater,  Urbs  Coslestis  Syvn,  Veni  Creator  Spiritus,  and  other  choice 
mediaeval  hymns  which  have  been  executed  with  equal  unction  and 
felicity. 

"  We  have  also  a  poem  by  the  same  author,  entitled  The  Microcosm, 
read  before  the  Medical  Society  of  New  Jersey  at  its  Centenary  anni- 
versary.    It  is  an  ingenious  attempt  to  present  the  principles  of  the 


animal  economy  in  a  philosophical  poem,  somewhat  after  the  manner 
of  Lucretius,  and  combining  scientific  analysis  with  religious  senti- 
ment. In  ordinary  hands,  we  should  not  regard  this  as  a  happy,  nor 
a  safe  experiment,  but  the  dexterity  with  which  it  has  been  managed 
by  Dr.  Coles,  illustrates  his  versatile  talent  as  well  as  the  originality 
of  his  conceptions." — George  Ripley  {New  York  Tribtine). 

"  Dr.  Coles  has  been  too  long  away  from  a  public  which  has  already 
shown  itself  kindly  to  him,  and  we  thank  him,  especially,  for  this 
book  of  his  own  {The  Microcosm).  .  .  Why  should  not  the  wonderful 
make  of  man — the  might  and  cunning  skill  that  are  moulded  in  him — 
furnish  a  very  choice  theme  for  poetry  ?  Dr.  Coles,  accustomed,  by 
his  profession,  to  search  among  and  study  out  these  marvels,  knowing 
how  they  are  grouped  together,  what  work  they  do,  and  how  they  are 
fitted  for  it,  believes  that  here  is  one  of  the  very  noblest  themes  for 
such  use,  hitherto  strangely  left  alone.  This  therefore  is  the  occasion 
of  his  writing  The  Microcosm.  .  The  Eustachian  Tube,  and  Cerebellum 
and  CEsophagus,  made  into  poetry,  must  have  astonished  the  well- 
informed  Medical  Faculty  of  New  Jersey,  much  as  a  farmer's  smoke- 
house and  pig-sty  and  shed  would  astonish  him,  if  made  into  a 
picture.  And  Dr.  Coles  has  really  made  them  into  poetry. .  ..Tissue 
and  organ,  and  channel,  and  duct  are  very  skillfully  and  beautifully 
described,  and  made  to  witness  to  God's  goodness  :  the  skin,  the 
nerves,  the  flesh,  the  heart,  the  eye,  the  tongue,  the  ear,  the  seeing, 
hearing,  speech,  light,  tears,  sleep,  music,  the  blind,  the  dumb,  the 
living  mind.  Whatever  in  man  is  good,  and  strong,  and  fine,  and 
beautiful,  finds  place  in  Dr.  Coles'  Poem,  and  is  so  set  forth  that  the 
man  of  science  and  the  man  who  can  read  and  feel  the  force  of  good 
thoughts  and  tuneful  words,  and  knows  nothing  of  anatomy  and 
physiology,  beside  the  cheapest  axioms  of  food  and  sleep,  may  alike 
enjoy  the  reading.  Whoever  has  only  grovelling  notions  of  man's 
nature,  and  knows  the  body  only  as  an  instrument  of  low  pleasure  and  a 
vehicle  of  pain  and  punishment,  would  here  learn  something  better 
of  himself  and  worthier  of  the  answer  which  he,  like  holier  men, 
must  make,  at  last.  Not  that  all  is  preaching.  The  book  is,  indeed, 
written  by  a  Christian  man,  to  whom  his  faith  in  his  Redeemer  and 
relationship  to  God  are  dearer  than  all  o  her  things  ;  but  the  blush  of 
maiden-love  and  the  conscious  glance  of  the  eye  ;  the  deep  mother's 
love  for  the  infant  nestling  in  the  bosom,  and  nursing  at  the  breast ; 
the  hallowed  happiness  of  two  made  one,  in  Christ ;  all  these  glow  in 
his  pages,  with  an  attractive  beauty  beyond  the  common.  All  that 
imaginative  and  eloquent  account  of  the  brain  and  its  great  faculty, 
we  would  take,  whole,  if  we  could....  If  high  thoughts,  in  glowing 
words,  be  noble,  is  not  this  which  we  have  just  read  ?. . .  .One  meets, 
continually,  in  this  poem,  such  passages  as  the  following  ;  and  one 
such,  even,  would  show  the  fine  skill  and  glowing  power  of  the  writer. 

"  The  second  book  whose  title  stands  at  the  head  of  this  article  — 
the  Stabat  Mater — is  a  translation  with  very  interesting  comments. . . . 
Like  most  poets,  the  author  of    The  Microcosm  writes  prose  beauti- 


fully,  and  the  reader  will  never  find,  in  the  prose  of  these  volumes, 
anything  but  what  is  interesting.  In  the  poem  and  remarks  which 
accompany  the  Stabat  Mater  is  the  utmost  justness  of  criticism,  full- 
ness of  information,  and  gracefulness  of  expression.  If  as  much  can 
be  learned,  elsewhere,  of  the  origin  and  character,  and  history  of  that 
hymn,  we  may  safely  say  that  it  can  nowhere  be  learned  so  pleas- 
antly. These  parts  of  the  book,  like  the  corresponding  parts  of  the 
book  on  the  Dies  Iro:,  we  hold  to  be  especially  valuable." — Rev.  Robert 
Lowell,  D.  D.  ( The  Church  Monthly). 

"  Dr.  Coles  has  supplied  a  want  and  done  a  graceful  work  in  The 
Microcosm.  What  the  flower  or  babbling  stream  is  to  Wordsworth, 
that  is  the  stranger,  more  complex,  and  more  beautiful  human  frame 
to  our  author.  In  its  organs,  its  powers,  its  aspirations,  and  its 
passions,  he  finds  ample  theme  for  song.  . .  Everywhere  the  rhythm  is 
flowing  and  easy,  and  no  scholarly  man  can  peruse  the  work  without 
a  glance  of  wonder  at  the  varied  erudition,  classical,  poetical,  and 
learned,  that  crowds  its  pages,  and  overflows  in  foot-notes.  And 
through  the  whole  is  a  devout  religious  tone  and  a  purity  of  purpose 
worthy  of  all  praise." — Newark  Daily  Advertiser. 

"Dr.. Coles'  researches,  made  so  lovingly  and  conscientiously  in 
his  special  field  of  poetical  scholarship,  have  given  him  a  distinct  and 
most  enviable  position  among  American  authors.  We  of  the  younger 
sort  learn  a  lesson  of  reverent  humility  from  the  pure  enthusiasm 
with  which  he  approaches  and  handles  his  noble  themes.  The  '  tone ' 
of  all  his  works  is  perfect.  He  is  so  thoroughly  in  sympathy  with 
his  subjects  that  the  lay  reader  instantly  shares  his  feeling  ;  and  there 
is  a  kind  of  '  white  light '  pervading  the  whole — prose  and  verse — 
which  at  any  time  trar.quilizes  and  purifies  the  mind." — Edmund  C. 
Stedman. 

"  I  have  finished  the  reading  of  The  Microcosm,  which  has  afforded 
me  unmingled  delight.  It  is  really  a  remarkable  poem,  and  has  pas- 
sages of  great  beauty  and  power.  It  cannot  fail  to  secure  the  admi- 
ration of  all  capable  of  appreciating  it.  Its  ease,  its  exquisite  finish, 
its  vivid  yet  delicate  and  powerful  imagery,  and  above  all  its  sublime 
religious  interest,  entitle  it  to  a  very  high  place  in  our  literature." — ■ 
Rev.  Robert  Ttirnbull,  D.  D. 

"  The  idea  of  The  Microcosm  is  novel  and  daring,  but  it  is  worked 
out  with  great  skill  and  delicacy.  The  Evangel  is  a  work  of  piety 
and  beauty.  The  Proem  opens  with  strong,  vigorous  yet  melodious 
verse." — John  G.  Whittier. 

"  The  Evangel  in  Verse,  is  the  ripest  fruit  of  the  scholarship, 
taste  and  poetic  talent  of  one  of  our  accomplished  students  of  Eng- 
lish verse,  whose  translations  of  Dies  Irce  and  other  poems  have  made 
the  name  of  Dr.  Coles  familiar  in  the  literature  of  our  day.  In  the 
work  before  us  he  has  attempted  something  higher  and  better  than 
any  former  essay  of  his  skillful  pen.  He  has  rendered  the  Gospel 
story  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  into  verse,  with  copious  notes,  giving 


the  largest  amount  of  knowledge  from  critical  authorities  to  justify 
and -explain  the  readings  and  to  illuminate  the  sacred  narrative.  .  .  . 
He  excludes  everything  fictitious,  and  clings  to  the  orthodox  view  of 
the  character  and  mission  of  the  God-man.  The  illustrations  are  a 
complete  pictorial  anthology.  Thus  the  poet,  critic,  commentator 
and  artist  has  made  a  volume  that  will  take  its  place  arpong  the  rare 
productions  of  the  age,  as  an  illustration  of  the  genius,  taste,  and 
fertile  scholarship  of  the  author." — Rev.  S.  Irencsus  Prime,  D.  D.  {The 
Nezu  York  Observer). 

"  The  purpose  of  this  volume  would  be  usually  regarded  as  beyond 
the  scope  of  poetic  composition.  It  aims  to  reproduce  the  scenes  of 
the  Gospel  History  in  verse,  with  a  strict  adherence  to  the  sacred  nar- 
rative and  no  greater  degree  of  imaginative  coloring  than  would 
serve  to  present  the  facts  in  the  most  brilliant  and  impressive  light. 
But  the  subject  is  one  with  which  the  author  cherishes  so  profound  a 
sympathy,  as  in  some  sense  to  justify  the  boldness  of  the  attempt. 
The  Oriental  cast  of  his  mind  allures  him  to  the  haunts  of  sacred 
song,  and  produces  a  vital  communion  with  the  spirit  of  Hebrew 
poetry.  Had  he  lived  in  the  days  of  Isaiah  or  Jeremiah,  he  might 
have  been  one  of  the  bards  who  sought  inspiration  '  at  Siloa's  brook 
that  flowed  fast  by  the  oracle  of  God.'  The  present  work  is  not  the 
first  fruits  of  his  religious  Muse,  but  he  is  already  known  to  the  lovers  of 
mediaeval  literature  by  his  admirable  translations  of  the  Dies  Irce. 
....  The  volume  is  brought  out  in  a  style  of  unusual  elegance,  as 
it  respects  the  essential  requisites  of  paper,  print  and  binding,  while 
the  copious  illustrations  will  attract  notice  by  their  selection  of  the 
most  celebrated  works  of  the  best  masters." — George  Ripley  {The  New 
York  Tribune). 

"  The  Evangel  in  Verse  is  a  feast  to  the  eye  and  ear  and  heart.  The 
careful  exegesis,  the  conscientious  loyalty  to  the  statements  of  the 
Holy  Story,  the  sympathetic  reproduction  of  a  remote  and  Oriental 
past,  the  sacred  insight  into  the  meaning  of  the  Peerless  Career,  the 
homageful  yet  manly,  unsuperstitious  reverence,  the  rhythm  as  melo- 
dious as  stately,  the  frequent  notes,  opulent  in  learning  and  doc- 
trine and  devotion,  the  illustrations  deftly  culled  from  whatever 
is  choice  in  ancient  and  modern  art,  these  are  some  of  the  many 
excellencies  which  give  to  The  Evangel  in  Verse  an  immortal  beauty 
and  worth,  adding  it  as  another  coronet  for  Him  on  whose  brow  are 
many  diadems." — Rev.  Geo.  D.  Boardman,  D.  D. 

"  I  admire  the  skill  which  The  Evangel  displays  in  investing  with 
rainbow  hues  the  simple  narrations  of  the  Gospels.  All,  however, 
who  have  read  Dr.  Coles'  versions  of  the  Dies  Irce  and  other  Latin 
Hymns  must  be  prepared  to  receive  any  new  productions  from  his 
pen  with  high  expectations.  In  these  days  when  even  the  clerical 
office  seems  in  many  cases  insufficient  to  protect  from  the  present 
fashionable  form  of  scepticism,  it  is  a  great  satisfaction  to  see  a  man 
of  science  and  a  scholar  adhering  so  faithfully  to  the  simple  Gospel." 
—Rev.  Charles  Hodge,  D.  D.,  LL.  D. 


"  Dr.  Coles  is  plainly  a  man  of  a  very  religious  heart  and  a  deeply 
reverential  mind.  .  .  .  Moreover  he  has  so  much  learning  in  his 
favorite  subject,  and  so  much  critical  instinct  and  experience,  that 
those  who  can  relish  honest  thinking,  and  tender  and  most  skillful 
and  true  deductions,  accept  his  teaching  and  suggestion  with  a  ready 
— sometimes  surprised — sympathy  and  confidence.  Add  to  all  this, 
that  he  has  the  sure  taste  of  a  poet,  and  the  warm  and  loving  earnest- 
ness of  a  true  believer  in  the  redeeming  Son  of  God,  and  the  catho- 
lic spirit  of  one  who  knows  with  mind  and  heart  that  Christianity  at 
its  beginning  was  Christianity,  and  we  have  the  man  who  can  write 
such  books  as  earnest  Christian  people  will  welcome  and  be  thankful 

for In  this  new  book  he  proposes  '  that  The  Evangel shall  be  a 

poetic  version,  and  verse  by  verse  paraphrase,  so  far  as  it  goes,  of 
the  Four  Gospels,  anciently  and  properly  regarded  as  one.'  He 
makes  an  exquisite  plea,  in  his  preface,  for  giving  leave  to  the  glad 
words  to  rejoice  at  the  Lord's  coming  in  the  Flesh,  for  which  all  other 

beings    and    things    show    their    happiness In   the  notes  the 

reader  will  find  (if  he  have  skill  for  such  things)  a  treasure-house,  in 
which  everything  is  worthy  of  its  place.  Where  he  has  offered  new 
interpretations,  or  set  forth  at  large  interpretations  not  generally  re- 
ceived or  familiar,  he  modestly  asks  only  to  have  place  given  him, 
and  gives  every  one  free  leave  to  differ.  Everywhere  there  is  the 
largest  and  most  true-hearted  charity.  .  .  .  The  reader  cannot  open 
anywhere  without  finding  in  these  notes,  if  he  be  not  wiser  or  more 
learned  than  ourselves,  a  great  deal  that  he  never  saw,  or  never  saw 
so  well  set  forth  before." — Rev.  Robert  Lowe//,  D.  D.  {Chunk  Monthly). 

"  There  is  a  kind  of  straightforward  simplicity  about  the  poetical 
paraphrases  which  reminds  one  of  the  homelier  but  still  always  inter- 
esting verses  which  John  Bunyan  sprinkles  like  drops  of  heavenly 
dew  along  the  pages  of  the  Pilgrim's  Progress.  The  illustrations 
add  much  to  the  work,  in  the  way  of  ornament,  and  aid  to  the  imag- 
ination. One  among  them  is  of  terrible  power,  as  it  seems  to  me, 
such  as  it  would  be  hard  to  show  the  equal  of  in  the  work  of  any 
modern  artist.  I  mean  Holman  Hunt's  'Scapegoat.'  There  is  a 
whole  Theology  in  that  picture.  It  haunts  me  with  its  fearful  sugges- 
tiveness  like  a  nightmare.  I  find  The  Evangel  an  impressive  and 
charming  book.  It  does  not  provoke  criticism — it  is  too  devout,  too 
sincere,  too  thoroughly  conscientious  in  its  elaboration  to  allow  of  fault- 
finding or  fault-hunting." — Dr.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes. 

"  I  have  read  a  considerable  part  of  The  Evangel and  with  pleasure 
and  satisfaction.  The  versification  of  the  Lord's  Prayer  is  both  an 
expansion  of  the  sense  and  a  commentary.  The  thought  has  often 
occurred  to  me  what  a  world  of  meaning  is  there  wrapped  up,  and 
that  meaning  is  admirably  brought  out." — William  C.  Bryant. 


"  The  skill  of  Dr.  Coles  as  an  artistic  poet,  his  reverent,  religious 
spirit,  and  the  exalted  flight  of  his  Muse  in  the  regions  of  holy  medi- 
tation are  familiar  to  our  readers.  It  is,  therefore,  superfluous  for 
us  to  do  more  than  to  announce  a  new  and  elegant  volume  from  his 
pen —  The  Microcosm  and  Other  Poems.  It  is  rich  irt  its  contents. 
The  Microcosm  is  an  essay  in  verse  on  the  Science  of  the  Human 
Body;  it  is  literally  the  science  of  physiology  condensed  into  1,400 
lines.  The  manv  occasional  poems  that  follow  are  the  efflorescence 
of  a  mind  sensitive  to  the  Beautiful  and  rejoicing  in  the  True;  rinding 
God  in  everything,  and  delighting  to  trace  the  Revelation  of  His 
Love  in  all  the  works  of  His  hand.  Such  a  volume  is  not  to  be  looked 
at  for  a  moment  and  then  laid  aside.  Like  the  great  epics,  it  is  a 
book  for  all  time,  and  will  lose  none  of  its  interest  and  value  by  the 
lapse  of  years.  The  publishers  have  given  it  a  splendid  dress,  and 
the  illustrations  add  greatly  to  the  attractions  of  this  truly  elegant 
book." — New   York  Observer. 

"  The  flavor  of  the  book —  The  Microcosm  and  Other  Poems — is  most 
quaint,  suggesting,  on  the  religious  side,  George  Herbert,  and  on  the 
naturalistic  side,  the  elder  Darwin,  who,  in  "  The  Botanic  Garden," 
laid  the  seed  of  the  revolution  in  science  accomplished  by  the  patient 
genius  of  his  grandson.  Some  of  the  hymns  for  children  are  beauti- 
ful in  tneir  simplicity  and  truth." — New   York  limes. 

' '  The  long  poem,  The  Microcosm,  which  gives  its  name  to  the  present 
collection,  has  many  beautiful  and  stately  passages.  Among  the 
shorter  pieces  following  it,  is  to  be  found  some  of  the  best  devotional 
and  patriotic  poetry  that  has  been  written  in  this  country." —  The  Critic. 

"  In  this  exquisite  and  brilliantly  illustrated  volume,  the  scholarly 
author  has  gathered  up  various  children  of  his  pen  and  grouped  them 
in  family  unity.  The  Microcosm,  which  forms  one-fifth  of  the  volume 
of  350  pages,  is  an  attempt  to  present,  in  poetical  form,  a  compen- 
dium of  the  Science  of  the  Human  Body.  In  originality  of  conception 
and  felicity  of  expression,  it  has  not  been  approached  by  any  work  of 
our  best  modern  poets.  The  other  poems  are  all  marked  by  the 
highest  poetic  taste,  having  passages  of  great  beauty  and  power." — 
Frank  Leslie ' s  Illustrated  Newspaper. 

"The  title-poem  in  this  exquisitely  printed  and  charmingly  illustrated 
volume — The  Microcosm  and  Other  Poems — has  been  for  some  time 
before  the  public  and  has  received  generous  commendation  for  the 
tact  and  skill  evinced  in  handling  a  very  unpromising  theme.  A 
poetic  description,  minute  and  thorough  going  of  the  human  body 
was  a  serious  undertaking;  but  Dr.  Coles  delights  in  what  is  difficult 
and  hazardous.  He  had  already  associated  his  name  forever  with  the 
mediaeval  Latin  Hymn,  Dies  Ira:,  by  publishing  no  less  than  thirteen 
distinct  versions  of  it.  In  the  volume  before  us  he  gives  us  three 
more  versions.  The  other  poems  will  not  detract  from  the  author's 
previous  reputation." — Examiner  and  Chronicle. 


The  Letters  of  the  Distinguished  Persons  given  below,  relate  to 
the  author's  ''  Life  and  Teachings  of  our  Lord  in  Verse." 

From  the  Hon.  Joseph  P.  Bradley,  LL.  D.,  One  oj  the  Justices  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States. 

Washington,  D.  C,  Dec.  14,  1884. 
Dear  Doctor — A  thousand  thanks  for  your  beautiful  book  The 
Life  and  Teachings  of  our  Lord  in  Verse.  I  have  read  nearly  all  of 
it,  and  like  it  better  the  longer  I  read  it.  You  had  two  rocks  to  avoid: 
on  one  side  prosaic  tameness,  wbich  might  be  incurred  by  too  rigid  an 
adherence  to  the  text;  on  the  other  rashness  in  attempting  (even 
poetical)  changes  of  consecrated  forms  of  expression — changes  which 
no  English  or  American  ear  would  endure.  I  appreciate  the  difficulty 
of  the  task,  and  think  you  have  performed  it  wonderfully  well. 

Sincerely  yours, 

Joseph  P.  Bradley. 

From  the  Right  Honorable  John  Bright,  M.  P.,  England. 

132  Picadilly,  London,  April  30,  '85. 

Dear  Dr.  Coles — I  write  to  thank  you  for  the  gift  of  your  Volume 
on  the  "  Life  and  Teachings  of  Christ  in  Verse." 

When  I  began  to  read  it,  I  thought  you  had  attempted  to  gild  the 
refined  gold,  and  would  fail — as  I  p.oceeded  in  my  reading  that  idea 
gradually  disappeared,  and  I  discovered  that  you  had  brought  the 
refined  gold  together  in  a  manner  convenient  and  useful  and  deeply 
interesting,  I  have  read  the  Volume  with  all  its  Notes,  many  cf 
which  seem  to  me  of  great  value. 

I  could  envy  you  the  learning  and  the  industry  that  have  enabled 
you  to  produce  this  remarkable  work.  I  hope  it  may  have  many- 
readers  in  all  countries  where  our  language  is  spoken.  Accept  my 
thanks  for  your  kindness — and  believe  me 

Very  sincerely  yours, . 

John  Bright. 


From  Horatius  Bonar,  D.  D. 

10  Palmerston  Road,  Grange,  Edinburgh. 
My  Dear  Sir — I  thank  you  very  sincerely  for  your  handsome  vol- 
ume. .  .  .  I  am  struck  with  your  command  of  language,  and  your 
skill  in  clothing  the  simplicities  of  history  with  the  elegance  of  poetry. 
It  is  no  ordinary  volume,  and  your  notes  are  of  a  very  high  order  in- 
deed— admirably  written,  and  full  of  philosophical  thought  and  Scrip- 
tural research.     Believe  me,  yours  very  truly, 

Horatius  Bonar. 

From  Alexander  Maclarcn,  D.  D. 

Manchester,  Eng.,  Nov.  3,  1885. 
Dear  Sir — I  congratulate  you  on  having  accomplished  with  such 
success  a  most  difficult  undertaking;  and  on  having  been  able  to  pre- 
sent the  inexhaustible  Life  in  a  form  so  new  and  original.  I  do  not 
know  whether  I  have  been  most  struck  by  the  careful  and  fine  exe- 
getical  study,  or  the  graceful  versification  of  your  work.  I  trust  it 
may  be  useful,  not  only  in  attracting  the  people  which  George  Her- 
bert thought  could  be  caught  with  a  song,  when  they  would  run  from 
a  sermon,  but  may  also  help  lovers  of  the  sermon  to  see  its  subject 
in  a  new  garb.  With  many  thanis  and  high  appreciation.  I  am,  dear 
sir,  yours  very  truly,  Alex.  McLaren. 


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